Student Guide

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Before you begin to browse through the various pages of this guide, I just wanted to say a huge ‘thank you!’ for coming to join us here at Cumorah Academy.

You are precious to us and precious to the Lord and are living through a critical stage of your life during difficult times on this earth. Cumorah Academy provides a rare place of spiritual safety, a refuge from the world where you can learn, grow, acquire skills and knowledge that will direct the course of much of your personal and professional life. We are truly grateful that you’ve chosen to set out on this journey.

I firmly believe that this experience will be rewarding, edifying and enriching for you and for everyone who works here with us. We love being a part of helping you to fulfil the abundant potential that you have, to bring out the latent talents, abilities and strengths with which the Lord has endowed you, and to provide you with an environment where the Spirit of the Lord can enrich you and your fellow students.

May the Lord bless you during your time on campus with inspiration, revelation and abundant joy as you study, work and serve your fellow students here at Cumorah Academy.

Iain R Saunders – Director

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Our Mission

Cumorah Academy is a non-profit organization supported solely by the generous contributions of donors. Cumorah Academy's mission is to assist individuals in their desire to follow Jesus Christ and positively impact their lives, careers, homes & communities. To accomplish this, we:

• Gather faithful disciples of Jesus Christ and like-minded individuals to a safe and gospel-centered campus
• Empower them with the Knowledge, Skills & Attributes that result in lasting happiness
• Prepare them to be leaders in their families, their Church, their professions & their communities

Our Vision

Cumorah Academy’s vision is of an educational institution known throughout Europe and the world as a place of safety and strength for members of the rising generation. A place where education is practical, valuable and where the joy of the Saints can be experienced to an extent that no other educational institution in Europe has yet achieved. It is of an institution whose courses follow the highest educational standards and are available to any and all members of the rising generation regardless of their financial circumstances. An institution that can lift those who are struggling, open doors for those to whom all doors seem closed and to change lives for the better in every aspect of our endeavors.

It is a vision of students that have attended Cumorah Academy returning to their lives equipped with practical skills, knowledge and personal attributes that will vastly improve their personal and professional prospects. They will be faithful in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, confident in their own strengths, supported by a life-long community and network of friends and professional contacts that will improve their options for life and business and give them a much greater chance at truly experiencing the joy of the Gospel both in this life and the life to come. They will build Zion, build relationships and raise families in their own countries as leaders and pillars of their churches and communities in their homelands.

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SCHOOL STAFF 

Iain R Saunders – Director Iain is responsible for all aspects of the campus, it’s students, courses and programs. He oversees student admissions, curriculum, timetable, activities, student welfare & discipline. He also teaches public speaking and some English classes during the semester. Contact: iain.saunders@cumorahacademy.org Tel: +420 737 603 356
Nina Scurtu – Recruitment & Careers Manager Nina oversees and coordinates enrolment efforts and student admissions, and works extensively on curriculum design and materials writing. She also teaches the Find a Job and Marketing Strategy classes whilst also overseeing the Sales Project.
Aneta Bočková – HR Manager Taking care of all the staff, scholarship work, processes and procedures at Cumorah Academy is no small task, but Aneta manages very well. She works with students to ensure they get Scholarship Work that matches their commitment and their skills as well as overseeing the wellbeing of the staff throughout the organisation.
Rebeka Vit– Management Assistant Rebeka is helps with the general administration of the campus, on-campus organization & activities and also works directly for the managing direct (Jan) in the running of both the school and its associated industries.
Ricardo Vargas – Management Assistant Like Rebeka, Ricardo helps with the general administration of the campus, on campus organization & activities and also works directly with Iain in running the school. He has specific responsibilities for organization interpretation and translation, liaising with the activities committee and supervising the student liaison.

INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS

Leah Waldrop– English Teacher Intern Leah is working at Cumorah Academy for the Spring Semester teaching English. She’ll work with Charlotte and be responsible for preparing and delivering the lessons as well as marking homework, helping with exam preparation and some tutoring.
Charlotte Peterson – English Teacher Intern Charlotte is working at Cumorah Academy for the Spring Semester teaching English. She’ll work together with Leah and be responsible for preparing and delivering the lessons as well as marking homework, helping with exam preparation and some tutoring.
Hannah Nerdin – Business Intern Hannah will be working directly with the business students to help them develop their business plans. She’ll teach the business, soft skills, starting your business self-reliance classes as well as follow-up with assignments and produce further teaching materials for the business courses.
Kenneth Waldrop - Student Counsellor Throughout the semester Kenny will be running courses to help students with their emotional resilience and in managing their mental health. Kenny will be on hand to offer counsel and advice as well as teaching courses.
Scott & Brenda Gardner – Cumorah Academy Advisory Couple As the volunteer members of staff with the most life-experience, the Gardners act as personal coaches to the students, meeting each student weekly to help them complete and develop their life plan, presentations, and other assignments. The Gardners also act as service missionaries assigned in the Czech, Prague Stake, organize and lead church meetings and oversee student welfare.

OTHER PEOPLE YOU’LL WORK WITH ON CAMPUS

Patrick Sedivy – Founder & Executive Director Along with his wife, Allyse, Patrick founded and developed Cumorah Academy from an inspired idea to the current campus. He is actively involved in decision-making, fund-raising, mentoring and the running of the school. Contact: patrick.sedivy@cumorahacademy.org Tel: +1 (801) 691-6623
Kelly and Stacey Shepherd – Executive Director’s Assistant Kelly and Stacey joined us in the Fall 2022 semester as the Cumorah Academy couple and are returning to help lead the school and the team, training staff members and overseeing the school administration. They’ll be working directly with Iain and the school team as well as helping train and supervise the Cumorah Academy Couple. Contact: kelly.shepherd@cumorahacademy.org Tel: 1 (801) 425-2186
Roman Čadeni – Campus Manager Roman is entirely responsible for the physical aspects of the Cumorah Academy Campus. He oversees accommodation, catering, equipment, and classroom maintenance as well as liaising directly with Stamberk Farm on production and facilities that intersect with Campus facilities. Contact: cadeni@hotelstamberk.cz Tel: +420 723 941 800
Lubomir Boček - Marketing Manager Often seen around campus with a camera pointing in your direction, Lubomir (Luboš) looks after all our marketing programs, leads the on and off campus marketing teams and is the primary content creator for our social media and web feeds.  Contact: lubomir.bocek@cumorahacademy.org
Daniel Čaňo - Campus Driver and Maintenance When you get a ride from the airport or go anywhere off campus, Daniel will most likely be your driver. His work involves driving and doing maintenance and repair work around campus under Roman Čadeni's direction.

COMMUNICATING WITH STAFF

IN-PERSON

When you need to ask a staff member something always first look for the staff member that has a name tag lanyard around their neck. They are the on-duty when they have the name tag on. They will probably be in the Common Room or the Staff Room.

If they are not wearing their name tags they are not on duty. Do not ask off-duty staff to work. Please respect the staff members’ on-duty and off-duty times. This will be a little harder for you but it will help staff members balance their work life and personal time – especially for those that live full-time on campus.

ONLINE

Please use Messenger to communicate with staff online. If staff have given their phone number above you may use WhatsApp to send direct messages. Please do so with consideration for normal working hours (8am to 6pm) and only messages outside of hours when absolutely necessary. You may also use email.

Please do not spam staff or messenger groups with repeated or irrelevant messages.

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STUDENTS

 Your fellow students are normally aged between 18 and 33 years old. Generally, they are single or young-married couples with no children. They originate from many different countries and backgrounds both inside and outside of the European Union and use English as their common communication language onsite. Their skills, educational, religious and cultural background vary greatly.

They are normally members or friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Many of them are studying online with BYU Pathway or other online educational institutions in addition to their studies here with us. Each of them will have chosen a combination of studies that you’ll see in the next section. All of them have sacrificed time and personal means to join Cumorah Academy and each one of them is just as important to us as you are.

THE PROGRAM

Our programs work as follows. All students attend either:

1) Leadership and Development Certification Program, sometime referred to as the ‘core curriculum / program’ plus one additional, optional ‘+’ certification, study or work program

2) the Elementary English Program.

3) the Team Leadership and Instruction Program.

1) LEADERSHIP AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT + ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION

Supervisor: Iain R Saunders

You and all of your fellow students are enrolled in our core Leadership and Development Certification Program.

 All students will:

- Attend Leadership classes 3 times a week (45 mins per class)

- Attend Public Speaking classes twice a week (1 x 90 min, 1 x 45 min)

- Attend Personal Finance Class once a week (2 x 60 minutes)

- Attend Family Relationship classes twice a week (1 x 45 minutes in small group, 1 x 60 minutes in a larger group)

- Attend at least one religious education class (1 x 45 mins Institute class)

- Attend a ‘Soft-Skills’ class once a week. (1 x 45 min)

- Complete the 'Find a Job' on-campus course (1 x 45 mins 6 times then additional online work).

- Read 1 x Complete Leadership Book and report on lessons learnt and applications (1 x 30 min review per week)

- Complete a Community Outreach Group Project.

- Complete a 4-week Accountability Challenge

- Attend their group meetings (1 x Reflection Meeting, 1 x Community Outreach Meeting per week) and fulfil 1 week of responsibility as a Group Leader

This accounts for approximately 12 hours class time a week and takes place normally between 9am and 1pm on weekdays.

ACHIEVEMENT CRITERIA FOR GAINING THIS CERTIFICATION

• Classes: Attend all lessons unless sick or otherwise excused by authorized staff

• Leadership: complete and submit a full and developed life vision

• Leadership: complete the online Leadership assignments at my.cumorahacademy.org

• Leadership: successfully lead your group devotionals, meetings and home evening for 1 week during the semester

• Leadership: complete the 4-week accountability challenge

• Public Speaking: present 2 x public presentations, in English with visual aids, to the student body on assigned topics. 1 minor presentation and 1 major presentation.

• Self-Reliance: complete all assignments and projects in your self-reliance course.

• Other: complete other assignments as set by tutors, mentors and teachers during the semester

GRADING

Each area of your Leadership performance receives a grade between 1 and 5 where ‘5’ is the highest. These are then averaged to a % score. Your final score for all the above areas will feed into your student report grade:

• 90-100% - Outstanding

• 80-89% - Very Good

• 60-79% - Satisfactory

(Scores that fall below 60% will usually mean termination of the scholarship and study program or other disciplinary action)

Teachers:

• Leadership – this week’s visiting mentor(s)

• Public Speaking – Iain R Saunders

• Soft Skills – Hannah Nerdin

• Life Vision – Scott and Brenda

• Self-Reliance – Stacey

• Family Relations – Scott

ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION, STUDY AND WORK PROGRAMS

You will also be fully engaged in one of the following add-on ‘+’ certification, study or work programs :

- + English

- + Business and Entrepreneurship

- + Custom Certification (Career Skills)

- + BYU Pathway or Other Online Studies

- + Work Focus

These certification programs will take place either in free hours during the morning that are not being used for Leadership and Personal Development classes (see above) or through the afternoon.

These classes normally take place on weekdays (Monday to Friday) though may take place on a Saturday if we have a trip or an excursion on a weekday during that week.

You are required to select one of the following certification tracks. The criteria for receiving the certificates for these study tracks vary and we advise you to think carefully about which study track to take before choosing your course.

+ ENGLISH CERTIFICATION (CAMBRIDGE EXAM FOCUS)

Supervisor: Iain R Saunders

Students on this study track learn English as a foreign language in class and through our online self-study platform whilst working towards passing an internationally recognized English language certificate (B1 Preliminary, B2 First and C1 Advanced). Students take a test before the start of the course and get put into specific level classes based on their results.

Each level will have 4 x 90-minute certification-focused core lessons per week, plus 1 x 45 additional class conversation and 1 x 45-minute class in pronunciation skills,  and 1 x 90 minute Leadership English Class

The English study track includes full preparation for Cambridge English examinations and students will have the option at the end of the course to take a Cambridge English exam appropriate to their level.

ACHIEVEMENT CRITERIA FOR GAINING THIS CERTIFICATION

• Attend all lessons unless sick or otherwise excused by authorized staff

• Complete a minimum of 3 hours of online study time per week (36 hours in total) on the Cumorah Academy online study portal

• Complete 3 x full examinations using Cambridge English Standard material in class (your certificate will show the level you achieved in these exams rather than the level of your class).

+BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP CERTIFICATION

Supervisors: Patrick Sedivy & Hannah Nerdin

Learning by contacting and working with people already established in the area of business the student wishes to develop. Through study, online courses and developing business relationships they gain the skills that their contacts suggest they learn to prepare them for the realities of life when running their own business.

Students on this study track attend online courses in addition to their on-campus courses which include attending optional mentor classes and specific business skills classes.

We estimate that this will take anywhere between 12-18 hours study time per week depending on the classes you choose.

ACHIEVEMENT CRITERIA FOR GAINING THIS CERTIFICATION

• Attend all lessons unless sick or otherwise excused by authorized staff. Including ‘Business Class’ 3 x a week, the ‘Starting and Growing a Business Self-Reliance Class’ as well as the ‘Business Class with Mentors’ classes on campus

• Fulfil and complete all online tasks and courses as set by your course tutor

• Complete 1 x practical marketing project.

• Complete 1 x practical sales project.

• Complete, submit, present and justify your business plan.

+ CUSTOM (CAREER SKILLS) CERTIFICATION

Supervisor: Iain Saunders

Learning through contacts with real business people to develop skills and gain certification in areas that are specific to the needs and career path of each student.

Students on this study track attend online courses in addition to their in-house courses and optional mentor classes. There is also a weekly personal coordination and feedback meeting on campus.

We estimate that this will take anywhere between 12-15 hours study time per week depending on the classes you choose.

ACHIEVEMENT CRITERIA FOR GAINING THIS CERTIFICATION

• Fulfil and complete all online tasks and courses as set in agreement with your course tutor

+ BYU PATHWAY OR OTHER ONLINE STUDIES

Supervisor: Your own online course leaders

Students on this study track are already enrolled in external online learning programs. They fulfil their online assignments and tasks in their own time. At the same time, they will also complete the Leadership and Personal Development Certification.

Based on their time commitments, students may also attend additional optional classes and activities that are available on-site.

+ WORK FOCUS

Supervisor: Aneta Bočková

Students study the core Leadership and Development component of the course and then work in either their own companies, jobs or in specific positions at the Cumorah Academy when not studying.

Based on their time commitments, students may also attend additional optional classes and activities that are available on-site.

2) ELEMENTARY ENGLISH PROGRAM

Supervisor: Iain R Saunders

Students on this course are at A2 Elementary level of English and are aiming to be B1 Intermediate.

All Elementary English Students:

- Study 20 hours in class each week (2 x 90-minutes each day).

- Study 1 additional session a day with a personal tutor selected from the Leadership students (1 x 45 mins per day)

- Attend the Self-Reliance My Foundation course in their own language (Spanish)

Elementary English students are also part of the student groups. They will group meetings and activities with their group and work with their group to gain points for the house cup.

ACHIEVEMENT CRITERIA FOR GAINING THIS CERTIFICATION

- Attend all lessons unless sick or otherwise excused by authorized staff

- Complete all assignments as given by the teachers

- Complete the projects and assignments in the Self-Reliance: My Foundation course

- Take the full final test.

OUTCOMES AND CRITERIA FOR FURTHER STUDY

The purpose of the Elementary English course is to help students improve their English enough to attend the Leadership and Personal Development course at a later semester.

All students who achieve a B1 level or above in their final exam, will receive a scholarship to return for a later semester and study the Leadership and Personal Development course.

Teachers: Leah Waldrop and Charlotte Peterson

There are no ‘+’ certification, study or work focuses that currently combine with the Elementary English certification.

3) Team Leadership Certification

Supervisor: Iain R Saunders

Only students that have successfully completed the 1st Semester course in Leadership & Personal Development may apply for this course. 

The Team Leadership course builds on the skills from the first semester. 

There are 2 types of students on the Team Leadership Certification course: 1) 2nd Semester Students who have completed the Leadership and Personal Development course 2) Student Leadership Interns (SLIs)

Each student will:

- Attend advanced public speaking skills class (1 x 60 mins)

- Attend all Leadership and Professional Life Classes (3 x 45 mins, 2 x 45mins)

- Attend weekly Conflict Resolution Classes (1 x 60 mins)

- Attend weekly Institute class (1 x 45 mins)

- Lead the Leadership certification students in their Leadership Book Study group (SLIs only)

- Advise a group as the Student Leadership Intern Group Representative (SLIs only) or, as a member of a group (2nd Semester Students), lead the group for 1 or 2 weeks of the semester. In either case they shall attend all group meetings (Home Evening, Group Reflection or Community Outreach planning)

- Assist and support Group Leaders. SLIs will also conduct 1 x training for new Group Leadership per week (45 mins)

- Assist 1 x teacher in 1 x class as teacher's assistant (2nd Semester Students only - not SLIs)

- Teach at least 2 observed lessons during the semester.  (Book club for SLIs, other classes for 2nd Semester Students)

2nd Semester Students can add one ‘+’ course to this main course (note that some ‘+’ courses cannot be repeated e.g. Business & Entrepreneurship). Student Leadership Interns work with the administration and support of campus in place of any other '+' certification and do not take a '+' certification in addition to this course.

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A typical timetable for a week at Cumorah academy may look something like this:

This is a sample timetable only and you should always check the ‘live’ timetable on the app or at my.cumorahacademy.org for updated information about class and teacher changes that sometimes happen during the week. Please download the Cumorah Academy App at Google Play or on the Apple App Store.

Classes have colors and codes. The colors show which course the class in is as follows:

Leadership Shades of aquamarine 

Business: Shades of orange

Elementary English Green

General English Shades of yellow

Staff Meetings Shades of red

Church Meetings Shades of purple

Special Meetings Various colors

Meals / Campus Events Shades of green

To help you know where to go, each class has a code that tells you who should attend:

Class Codes Guide

(All) All students must go to this class.

(Any) Optional class. Any student may attend.

(B) Only for students taking ‘Business & Entrepreneurship’ certification

(B+Any) Business students must attend, other student may attend if they would like to

(E?+Any) All English students B1, B2 or C1 must attend, other students may attend if they wish

(EB1) Only for students the ‘B1 – Intermediate’ English certification class.

(EB2) Only for students the ‘B2 – Upper-Intermediate’ English certification class.

(EC1) Only for students the ‘C1 – Advanced’ English certification class.

(EE) Class for all English Elementary Students

(Esp) Class for Spanish-speaking English Elementary Students

CHANGING STUDY TRACK

Once you’ve signed up to a certification track, please give it your full time and attention.

Sometimes, in exceptional circumstances, where it becomes clear that your chosen study track is not right for your circumstances, talk to Iain about your options for changing your certification track.

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Activities happen throughout the Cumorah Academy program and are a great way to relax from the demands of your work / studies, make and to gain new friends and bond with your group.

Whilst we encourage all students to participate, you are free to choose whether or not you join in activities and excursions.

All activities should follow the standards of activities given in Chapter 20 of the General Handbook of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days

MID-WEEK

During the week, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and some Saturday evenings after dinner are left open for activities.

Each student will organize and run at least one of these activities during their time on campus. You’ll be given training and support in this during induction week.

Some students will serve on the activities committee as part of their scholarship work hours. The activities committee will support, coordinate and provide help to the students organizing the activities during these times. See the activity committee section for more information.

In addition to these evening activities, all students are welcome to provide other activities, events or classes based on their skills - just talk to the committee and let them know what you’d like to do. Any activity you run can count towards your scholarship work hours.

Mid-week activities happen on-campus in the conference room, gym or around the grounds and finish by 10.30pm.

No mid-week activity should interfere with your studies – your studies always take priority and you should always be back in your rooms before midnight unless you are given specific permission to be out longer.

All activities must respect quite-times and bed-times. See quiet-time section for more information.

EXCURSIONS

From time to time during the semester we offer special excursions or trips. These are optional. They can happen on a weekday or on the weekend.

There is no cost to you for these trips, we pay for the bus and any additional fees that are part of the trip.

We also aim to conduct at least one one-day trip to the Freiberg Temple in Germany where visas and Covid restrictions allow.

You will need to sign-up for these excursions well in advance, so please watch the noticeboards and chat for information.

Note: If you sign up for a trip and fail to turn up, you may be charged the full price of the trip you did not attend.

REGULAR OR RECURRING ACTIVITIES

There are activities that happen regularly each semester:

SAUNA / JACUZZI

We provide 2 x sessions in the jacuzzi or in the sauna per week on a normal week. This is a privilege that the donors pay for to help you relax and be ready to study the next day. It is not a right.

Please be respectful of the rules when you use these facilities as they can be dangerous if not used properly:

• You must sign up first. If you didn’t sign up, don’t turn up.

• You can only book sessions up to 2 weeks ahead.

• There should never be more than 4 people in the jacuzzi and 6 in the sauna.

• You always where modest swimwear when using either facility. Get dressed before you leave the sauna – do not walk around campus in your swimwear.

• Never be alone with a member of the opposite sex in either setting (unless you’re married to one another)

• Clean up after yourself, putting away any towels used.

• Never, ever put water on the sauna rocks, they are heated electrically and you will break it.

• Pay attention to your health. No-one with blood pressure problems or breathing difficulties should attend these sessions.

If you are new to these experiences, make sure you research the correct way of using such facilities safely and in a healthy way to avoid damaging your health.

We reserve the right to cancel these sessions without notice should safety be compromised by student behavior.

ARCHERY / QUADS / SHOOTING

Each week on a Wednesday afternoon we will provide Archery, or a quad-bike ride (for those with valid driver’s licenses) or air-rifle shooting. These activities rotate each week and will be available only if equipment and weather permits.

You do not need to sign up for Archery or Shooting, just queue up and take a turn. You will need to sign-up for quad-biking, go through safety rules and sign a waiver for this activity.

CLAY-PIGEON SHOOTING

Once per semester we have a session of Clay-Pigeon shooting. Don’t worry, no animals get shot! You’ll be shooting shotguns at flying orange discs. Each student will have the opportunity to take 10 shots. We’ll announce the time and date of these sessions.

CYCLING

You are always free to borrow the bicycles from the area next to gym when you have free time. To borrow a bike, talk to our Student Liason who can unlock one for you. There are, of course, some rules:

- You may not ride bikes inside the campus grounds.

- You must always wear a helmet if you ride a bike and follow all local laws of road safety.

- You must ride in pairs with a partner for safety purposes

- You must carry a phone that can call emergency services if you need medical help.

BOARD GAMES

You are free to use and borrow any of the board-games or card-games that are located in library cabinet. You do not need to sign them out. Simply put them back in an organized and respectful way ready for the next user.

SPORTS GYM AND FITNESS GYM

You can use the Sports Gym to arrange sports sessions or matches with other students at any time as long as it does not interfere with classes or studies. If you want to book a time, simply let other students know when you’d like to use the sports gym.

You can also use the Fitness Gym at any time. Please ensure you clean up after yourself and be mindful of other uses. If you are uncertain how to use a gym machine, seek advice before using it so as to avoid injury.

DANCES

If you wish to organize a Dance, you’ll need to talk to the Activities committee. Music and lightening equipment are available to use on campus with the supervision of a technical advisor or a member of staff.

If you organize a dance on a Friday, ask for permission to extend bed-time and quiet time hours well in advance and ensure you announce it to the school.

All dances should follow church standards of dress and music. This includes:

- Dressing modestly

- Keeping lighting bright enough that you can see the other side of the room

- Keeping music at a volume that you can have a conversation with the person next to you without having to shout.

- Choosing and playing music that is fun and does not have any swearing or explicitly sexual lyrics.

Please ensure that you clean up completely after any dance. Like with any activity, the rule of cleaning up is: if we can tell you had the activity, then it is not cleaned up enough.

OTHER

Some students may also enjoy joining the academy choir, create a yoga class or Zumba group, a book club or a drama group. It’s all up to you what you’d like to offer.

Be creative, put yourself out there and make a difference to your fellow students by sharing what you love!

If you wish to organize any of these as part of your scholarship work hours, please contact the activities committee.

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Each semester we form an Activities Committee from the students with one member assigned to chair this committee. This assignment is something you do to help out, to apply the principles of leadership you learn on campus. The hours you do count towards your scholarship work hours. However, there is no pay for activities work if you work over your scholarship work hours. This group of students work together to plan and make the necessary preparations for the mid-week activities.

Whilst members of the activities committee will personally run activities at least once a week, they will also invite others to run activities from among the other students making use of the many talents and skills available on campus.

Members of the activity committee have the following responsibilities:

- Meet together weekly to plan activities

- Create a plan for next 3 weeks of activities

- Inform Iain about the activities plan

- Prepare the activity and make assignments, where necessary, for other students to help

- Perform a risk assessment for all activities and fill in the necessary form

- At least one member of the activities committee should attend each activity and act as supervisor.

- Encourage other students to attend without applying undue pressure

- Develop an environment of harmonious service, entertainment and sociality among the students

- Ensure activities follow the standards laid out in Chapter 20 of the General Handbook of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days

The activities committee is not responsible for excursions or trips.

Most activities should use current available materials and facilities on campus and they should not cost extra money. Where an activity needs additional funding for extraordinary purposes, please submit a proposal to Iain.

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GROUPS

The primary role of groups at Cumorah Academy is to build positive relationships and to take care of one another. As a result, all students are placed into one of five groups by a magical sorting hat… alas no, just by our staff before the semester starts ????. The groups are named after key people from ancient scripture and each group has a color assigned.

The groups are:

ESTHER

Esther: sky blue for inspiration, imagination and the royal station of a noble woman. Black text for her courage to take risks to save her people.

ISAIAH

Isaiah: red for the blood of Israel and the atoning sacrifice of which he prophesied, gold text for the throne of heaven he saw in vision.

MORONI

Moroni - Blue for the Priesthood and the Book of Mormon, gold text for the plates on which he wrote.

NEPHI

Nephi- green for the land of promise he strove for and black lettering for his love of plain and precious truths

RUTH

Ruth - gold for the color of the harvest that bound her and Boaz together, black lettering for the struggles she endured to get there

At the start of the semester, your group will create a group logo and a chant together. Then they will work together with you throughout the semester. They will study the Self-Reliance and Family Relations lessons together with you, minister with you, hold home evenings together and compete together with you for the House Cup in various activities and criteria.

An important role of student groups is to give everyone a sense of belonging and to ensure that no student feels left-out, lost or left behind.

THE HOUSE CUP

As groups work together, mentors, senior staff members and leaders will award your group House Cup points. There will be specific activities where groups will compete for House Cup points such as, quiz nights, sports competitions and so on. At the end of the Semester, the winning group will be awarded the House Cup (filled with chocolates and sweets, of course) and have their group colors displayed on the cup for the rest of the next semester in recognition of their achievements.

LEADING THE GROUPS

STUDENT LEADERSHIP INTERNS

Each group will have a pre-assigned Student Leadership Intern (SLI) and a Group leader (GL). These are two different roles.

The Student Leadership Intern (SLI) will work with and advise the Group Leader during the week and communicate with staff in staff meetings twice weekly. The Student Leadership Intern (SLI) will report any issues to staff and help resolve them. They will make sure that the group leader fulfills their responsibilities and offer help when necessary.

Student Leadership Intern (SLI) also serve on the Community Outreach Committee, working with members of the Czech Prague Stake to develop community ties.

Student Leadership Intern (SLI) serve for the entire semester as part of their 'Team Leadership' Certification.

GROUP LEADERS

Each group will have a Group Leader. This is a student, selected from the group, who will take on the responsibilities of Group Leader (GL) for one week only and help the group function as an effective unit that takes care of one another.

Being a group leader is part of your leadership program and an opportunity to practice the leadership skills you learn in lessons at Cumorah Academy.

During their week leading the group, Group Leaders have the following responsibilities:

- Be an exemplary student.

- Care for the welfare of the other students in your group, ensuring that no one feels left-out, lost or left behind, and report any issues to Student Welfare officers

- Encourage attendance and turning up on time to all classes.

- Contact any student missing classes and check on their welfare.

- Prepare for and lead the weekly Self-reliance or family relations sessions when assigned.

- Lead weekly Home Evening lessons, making assignments within the group for people to do lessons, tell stories, share music, create an activity and so on. The group leader conducts the meeting.

- Lead the daily morning devotionals following the online program at my.cumorahacademy.org or on the Cumorah Academy app.

- Conduct any group meeting during that week.

- Attend Thursday staff meetings (usually at 12pm).

- Report to and coordinate all plans with the group representative.

- Encourage the group members to compete for House Cup points.

Each Tuesday a new Group leader will replace the current one and someone else in the group will have the chance to serve in the same position.

GROUP REFLECTION MEETINGS

Your twice-weekly group reflection meetings are a time for feedback, reflection, planning and team-building.

Reflection means reviewing things that you’ve learnt and discussing your feelings about them. Taking time to reflect also helps you to remember what you learnt and to use it better in your future life.

Group meetings typically last 30 minutes. Use 10-15 minutes to review reflection questions and the rest of the time to do some team-building or an activity together.

Your Group Leader for that week will plan and lead the meeting.

All group members attend this meeting unless sick or excused by a senior staff member.

If you can’t attend, you should let your group leader and a senior staff member know in advance and give a good reason for your absence.

CONTENT: REFLECTION, GRATITUTE AND PLANNING

Topics that you should include in these meetings are:

1. Planning your Community Outreach Project to help the local community, local church stake members or others. ALL group members should be involved and take responsibility for making the project work and be successful.

2. Asking one another and discussing reflection questions such as:

a. What were the most important things you learnt today?

b. What were your expectations of the day today?

    i. Were those expectations met? Exceeded? Not met? Why (not)?

c. When were you at your best today?

d. What were the most challenging moments of the day?

    i. How did you overcome those challenges?

e. What happened today that you would like to improve on?

i. In yourself

    ii. In the programme

f. What can you do with what you’ve learnt today?

g. Which of your fellow students or mentors did you connect with today and what did you learn from them?

h. What did you see in other people today that you’d like to emulate?

i. What things would you like to know more about?

i. How can you find out about these things?

3. Asking how group members to list thing that they are grateful for in areas such as:

 a. Accommodation

 b. Food

 c. Lessons

 d. Coursework

 e. Activities

 f. The entire experience at Cumorah Academy

4. Discussing how to improve group members participation at Cumorah Academy in areas such as :

 a. Attendance

 b. Punctuality (being on time)

 c. Following the schedule

 d. Using English on Campus

 e. Attending devotionals

5. Sharing uplifting thoughts, ideas or experiences. To do this you can:

 a. Share testimony of principles you’ve learnt

 b. Share positive thoughts or encouragement

6. Play games together: play a game that helps you get to know one another or learn about each other’s lives, hopes and dreams, past and future.

Remember, you don’t need to do all these things during every single group meeting. You could have one meeting about Gratitude and the second about Reflection. Or one meeting about planning your community outreach activity and a second about Reflection and Gratitude. Group leaders should decide this before the meeting.

Select a few of the topics or discussion points above and try to vary the content of the group meetings when you are the group leader.

In your work with your groups, focus on principles of gratitude, kindness and love and use these principles to guide your discussions.

HOME EVENINGS

Every Monday at 8pm, the Group Leader will plan, make assignments and lead the group’s home evening.

Home Evenings should uplift, inspire and bond the group together. They should also involve everyone, every time. They are not a one-person event.

All students should accept assignments and participate willingly.

Typical Home Evening assignments could work as follows:

• Leading: [Group Leader] – Welcomes everyone, makes announcements and tells the group who is doing what.

• Lesson: [Assigned student 1] – Share a short (10-15 min) lesson, asking questions and discussing principles of life, education, the gospel or scriptures.

• Story: [Assigned student 2] – Share a story with a message, either from your life, your family history or from a Liahona magazine or conference talk.

• Scripture: [Assigned student 3] – Share a meaningful scripture or conference quote and say why it is meaningful to you.

• Game / Activity: [Assigned student 4] – Have some fun together ????

• Music: [Assigned student 5] – should choose the opening hymn (usually from the hymnbook or children’s songbook) and the closing song or hymn.

• Prayers: [Assigned student 6] – Should say one of the prayers (opening or closing) and choose a person to say another.

• Refreshments: [Assigned student 7] – If you want to have some snacks with your activity or after home evening, this student should arrange and prepare and organise to clean up these snacks.

Home evening time should last a minimum of 45 minutes but can last much longer if you’re playing a game or doing an activity.

THIS VERSION IS OUT OF DATE.
PLEASE USE THE ONE IN THE MATRIX LMS APP

SCHOLARSHIP WORK

All students on a scholarship will have some set amount of time, every week, that they should work to help pay back the blessing of receiving a scholarship.

This is an important self-reliance principle. Taking anything for free and not giving back in work, effort or money is not the Lord’s way and is not good for your personal development.

Everyone’s hourly commitment is different. Some may have a couple of hours a week, some may do 12 hours or more.

It is up to you to volunteer for regular tasks and jobs to fulfil your scholarship agreement commitment. It is up to you to talk to the work leader and find work to do if you are not getting enough hours.

You should record your hours every week in the work hours record book located at reception. A member of staff will track your hours and let you know if you are under or over your hourly commitment.

Scholarship work hours can also include:

- Service projects and extra events that happen from time to time.

- Helping run or plan activities (such as singing in the choir or serving on the activities committee)

- One-off tasks on campus or helping staff

If you owe scholarship work hours, be sure to sign up and get involved in this.

If you do not fulfil your scholarship hours, you will break your scholarship agreement. As a result, your scholarship may end along with your time at Cumorah Academy. Please make sure that you complete your hours so that you can continue to study with us.

PAID WORK

Working for pay is possible only after you’ve completed your study and scholarship hour commitments.

Not all scholarship work positions have the option to be paid even if you work more than your set hours. For example, you can count hours working as a Group Representative or Activity committee member towards your scholarship hours but there is no pay for these positions. You will be told pay conditions with any job you apply for.

If you wish to work for pay, your scholarship work hours commitment should be fulfilled first.

Occasionally, we make other arrangements for specific and exceptional reasons to allow more paid work time. If you think you are an exceptional case, contact the School Director

Any money earnt can be paid at the end of the month or at the end of the semester. Arrange with Pavlina or Jan your term of payment.

THIS VERSION IS OUT OF DATE.
PLEASE USE THE ONE IN THE MATRIX LMS APP

One of the wonderful opportunities at Cumorah Academy is the chance to meet with Mentors.

Our mentors are people who are experienced and successful in their field of work, sometimes extremely successful, as well as being faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They volunteer their time, usually for one week, to come and stay at Cumorah Academy and share the lessons of their life and success with our students.

This is an exciting and inspiring opportunity for all students to build relationships with industry-leaders in a variety of fields.

OUR MENTORS’ ROLE

As the name suggests, mentors are here to help you learn and grow. They will share 3 leadership lessons with you, drawing on their personal experiences and stories to help you learn the things they have discovered in their journeys to success.

They will also join you for group lessons and discussions and talk with you outside of the classroom. Some of our Mentors also donate to the scholarship fund that helped you study with us. They love you and are genuinely interested in your success.

YOUR INTERACTION WITH MENTORS

Take the opportunity to talk with and learn from Mentors both in the classroom and during day-to-day life at Cumorah Academy. Their experience is a vast resource of information and assistance to you in your studies and future life and, if your interests and theirs work well together, they are happy to build relationships with you.

Mentors offer 1 to 1 time during the week. Take the opportunity to talk to them about your personal, business and spiritual goals.

Whilst every Mentor may not be from a field of business that directly affects your future plans, we ask you to show all the mentors the same level of love and respect due to them for their service and sacrifice of time and money to come and work with you at Cumorah Academy.

CUMORAH ACADEMY ADVISORY COUPLE

The Cumorah Academy Advisory Couple are mentors who live and work with you the entire semester.

You will meet with them at least once a week and discuss the following:

- Your life-vision and the steps you are taking to fulfil it

- Your progress in your courses and assignments

- Your success and challenges at Cumorah Academy and beyond

You can use your time with them practice public speaking assignments, get a second opinion on business projects or English work. Receive personal advice or guidance.

In addition, the CAAC may teach some classes.

Your meetings with the CAAC are a required part of your Leadership course. Missing a meeting with them has the same consequences and procedures as missing a class.

CONTRIBUTION

Please ensure that you pay a part (or all, if possible) of your agreed contribution before your semester’s deadline. This payment is part of your commitment to come to Cumorah Academy.

You can make those and any further payments or donations towards your studies or the those of other students by clicking here.

DOCUMENTATION

You will need to complete the online questionnaire to help us with your meals, accommodation, travel and personal needs.

Please ensure you have the correct travel documents such as your personal identification (if travelling from within the Schengen agreement area in the EU) or Passport if travelling from outside the Schengen zone.

You will also need 3-month health insurance to cover medical costs, should you fall sick.

For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a valid temple recommend is also helpful.

COVID

We will send you the information you need to comply with Covid restrictions before you arrive as the law changes regularly. Currently (February 2023) there are no travel restrictions in the Czech Republic.

MONEY

You'll need €5 or 100czk deposit for your towel & key

We recommend bringing around €50 or 1000czk spending money for snacks, souveniers or personal shopping. The Campus provides for all your basic needs, but you'll need some spending money if you want more than basics.

To shop and travel in the Czech Republic you will need to get some Czech Crowns (CZK). Euros are accepted on campus but not in most shops. 

English Students: Please bring €25 for your English book. 

TRAVEL INFORMATION

All flights, trains and busses will be to Prague unless authorized by Eva or the director. We will run a bus from Prague at a pre-arranged time on the arrival date.

If you arrive on a different day, you will need to pay your own costs to catch a train and bus from Prague to a station near the campus where a member of staff will pick you up for a small fee covering petrol.

WHAT TO PACK

We suggest packing the following:

• Medicine for your own needs

• Sunday clothes

• Toiletries (shampoo, soap, special detergent if you have allergies, etc)

• Everyday clothes

• Warm winter clothes

• Sport clothes + water bottle + bag

• Service project clothes

• Swimsuit (if you plan to use the Sauna or the Jacuzzi)

• Wet-weather clothing including: waterproof shoes, raincoat, umbrella

• Your mobile phone, laptop and related chargers (Czech Republic uses EU standard power sockets)

• You can also bring musical instruments, board games, sport equipment, or other personal entertainment devices if you can fit them within your luggage allowance

• Items you may need for you work or studies (we only give one paper notebook to each student)

CHECK IN

Your room will be preassigned before you arrive. On arrival you’ll need to report at the reception to receive your room key and a member of staff will show you to your room.

You will need leave a deposit for your room key of €5 or 100 czk, this will be returned to you when you return your key.

ACCOMMODATION

All of our rooms are shared with other students. When you enter your assigned room, please select a bed and wardrobe space keeping in mind the needs of other students that you’ll be sharing that room with for next few months.

Each room is fully equipped with beds, hypo-allergenic bedding, a bath towel and face towel for each person, TV, desk and wardrobes. If you need any changes to the room when you arrive, please talk to Roman Cadeni or a member of the hotel staff.

You will also receive a black personal towel to use in the sauna, jacuzzi or swimming pool areas – please return this at the end of the semester.

Do not use white towels in the sauna, jacuzzi areas or swimming pool

Please report any issues with your accommodation to Roman Cadeni or a member of the campus staff using this link, completing the form and giving details of the damage.

INDUCTION

On or during your first or second day (depending on your arrival time) you’ll receive an induction pack that includes a Cumorah Academy t-shirt, notebook, pen and ring-binder folder. Your folder will contain several important documents including:

- A copy of your Scholarship Agreement which you need to read, sign and return to a senior member of staff

- Picture release form which you’ll need to read, sign and return to a member of staff.

- Damage waiver that you’ll need to sign if you wish to use the quad bikes or push bikes on campus

- Declaration that you agree to abide by the Cumorah Academy Standards of Living and a document explaining the standards

You’ll also receive a full campus tour as well as session reviewing many important aspects of your time living, studying and working on campus.

We know that you won’t remember everything from this guide from the first day, but please refer to it regularly when you are not sure how things are going to work.

After lunch on the first induction day, we’ll take a photo of you to add to our records.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMPUS

Our campus is a self-contained unit of buildings set in the beautiful Czech countryside and within walking distance to the historic ‘Blanik’ hills that feature heavily in Czech folklore. Online, you may find the campus listed at ‘Hotel Stamberk’ as the campus area functioned as a hotel resort prior to becoming the main center for Cumorah Academy. The postal address of our campus is:

Cumorah Academy
Pravětice 19
257 08 Načeradec
Czech Republic

Take a look at the map below to familiarize yourself with the location of the various on-site facilities.

Facilities include:

- 24 rooms for 2-6 people

- 7 apartments for up to 6 people

- A spacious common room / restaurant area by the reception

- Laundry facilities including free-to-use washers, dryers, irons and ironing boards,

- 4 teaching rooms

- A sports hall

- Fully equipped gym

- Outdoor swimming pool & basketball posts

- Sauna and Wellness Centre

- Indoor and outdoor fireplaces

- A terrace with magnificent views at sunset

- and many other fabulous features

We also have facilities to do archery, air-rifle shooting, clay-pigeon shooting and quad biking. You can use freely available bikes if you’d like to take a ride in the surrounding countryside lanes and explore the villages nearby. Just notify a member of staff if you’d like to use one and you must wear a helmet at all times when on a bike.

Just contact Roman Cadeni for more information.

MEALTIMES

Meals are available in the restaurant area of the Campus three times a day at 8am, 1pm and 7pm. You do not have to pay additional costs for meals.

Each meal is served as a buffet which means you will need to collect your own plate and cutlery and then select your own meal from the range of options available.

Please take only the food you will eat.

Snacks of fruit and vegetables will also be served next to the conference room at 10.45am and in the main common room at 4pm.

Common allergens are displayed by each dish, so if you have allergies, please check before selecting a particular dish.

Each meal selection contains gluten-free and vegetarian options. If you are a vegetarian or require a gluten free option, your meal will be set aside in the kitchen. This will ensure your have your meal and that others do not take it.

Drinks are available from drink dispensers at the bar area. See the section on drinking water for more information.

Please be respectful of others and do not go for second helpings or extra portions until others have managed to get their first portions.

Do not ‘reserve’ or ‘book’ tables by sitting at the same table all the time. Try to mingle with people from different countries to practice your English together during meal times.

Once you’ve finished your meal, please deposit your plates, bowls and cutlery on the metal shelving area just to the left inside the kitchen door. Students must not enter any other part of the kitchen.

There is no option to pay for additional meals under normal circumstances. If you feel that exceptional circumstances exist, talk to Jan or Iain to make a request.

Please do not take meals or food from the common room to your rooms.

Food cannot be reserved for later.

Do not put anything in the fridges or freezer in the common room, they are not for student use.

SNACKS

If you wish to pay for additional drinks (from the fridge or behind the bar area), snacks or ice-creams, they are also available in the restaurant / bar area of the common room.

The snack bar operates on an honor system of payments:

- First, select the product you wish to purchase.

- If you wish to pay later, record your purchase in the ‘Rooms’ book next to the bar.

o Select your room number, write your name, the product you are buying and the amount.

- If you can pay with exact cash, put the cash in the payment box on the bar.

Payments can be made in Euros, Czech Crowns or using campus vouchers (which you will receive from campus staff as rewards for keeping your rooms clean).

DRINKING WATER

As stated above, whilst the water at the campus is safe to drink from any tap, some students have trouble adjusting to the local water and have had stomach troubles. If you are unsure about the tap water, use the filtered water from the drinks dispenser in the common room or the one just next to conference room where purer, filtered water is freely available to drink or to fill up your personal bottle.

CANCELLING MEALS

We book and pay for your meals ahead of time. These meals cost at least €15 per person, per day.

If you are not going to eat a meal at Cumorah, please let us know at least 48 hours (2 days) ahead of time. This will ensure neither the food nor the cost of the food is wasted.

LAUNDRY

There are washing machines and dryers in the basement of the main building. Just follow the signs to the laundry area. Detergent and softener are provided along with clear instructions for using the machines. You will not need coins or tokens to operate the machines.

You WILL NEED a magnet with your name and assigned washing day to use the laundry. DO NOT use the machines without placing your magnet on them. Any machines that do not have a magnet can have their contents removed by a member of staff.

Ironing facilities are also available in the laundry area though we advise you not to wait till Sunday morning just before church to iron a shirt as it can get busy ????. Do not take irons or ironing boards to your room. Use them in the laundry area only.

When using the laundry, use one machine at a time, place your magnet strip with your name on it on the machine to identify you as the user of the machine and that you are using it at the correct, assigned time, and set a timer on your watch or phone to notify you when it is completed. Return promptly to the machine and empty it so as to free up space for other students. Please do not leave laundry lying in machines for long periods as it will block access for other students.

Do not remove other people’s laundry as this can cause offence in many cultures. Only staff members can remove washing from a machine. If a wash is finished, send a direct message to the owner of the wash to let them know you want to use the machine.

We recommend planning to do your laundry ahead of time.

CHANGING BEDDING / TOWELS

New bedding for all the rooms arrives every 2nd Wednesday in folded piles on shelves or tables at the end of each corridor in the main accommodation building.

Once every 2 weeks, strip off the cover of your duvet and pillow, remove the bedsheet and place it with your white towels into the laundry bin near rooms 8 and 9. Collect new bedding and towels from the piles on the table in the corridor and make your bed using the clean bedding.

Do not take colored towels from the Sauna / Wellness center into your rooms. These do not belong anywhere except the Sauna / Wellness area and there is a specific laundry bin for them in that area.

Do not strip the mattress cover off your bed (the one attached by elastic straps). That should stay on the bed.

CLEANING YOUR ROOM

Clean your room at least once a week.

Work with your roommates and set up systems for who will clean what when. Each room has a basket of cleaning products and devices to help you clean the bathroom and bedroom areas properly.

Each Thursday, campus cleaning staff inspect the rooms for cleanliness and damage.

Those keeping their rooms clean receive additional bonuses such as vouchers for ice creams and chocolate from the bar. The best kept rooms will also receive bonus activities and excursions.

Students will receive warnings and notices from campus staff when rooms are kept at a level that is below Cumorah Academy standards. They will be given remedial cleaning work under staff supervision if this becomes serious and a threat to the future use of the room.

INTERNET

Wi-fi is available throughout the premises. Select the Cumorah Academy Wi-fi signal to get the best reception on your device. The password will be displayed on the campus noticeboards and in the information pack in your room. There is no cable internet currently available on campus.

Your internet usage is monitored for excessive use of data and the Campus manager may limit your bandwidth if he feels you are overusing or abusing the system.

Avoid all suspicious sites and do not click on links that you are uncertain about. During electrical storms the internet may not be available due to local area network issues.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

In the extremely rare event of an emergency, please familiarize yourself with the evacuation routes from your room to the safe gathering areas that are shown on the information boards around the campus.

If you spot a fire, evacuate the area immediately, alerting others to the danger as you leave the building. There are fire alarm boxes in corridor of the main accommodation. If possible, break the glass to activate smoke evacuation fans and cut electrical currents that can make fires worse. Call 112 as soon as you are clear of the building.

If a student or staff member experiences a medical emergency, call 112 for an ambulance and give them the address of the campus as ‘Hotel Stamberk, Pravetice 19’.

FEEDBACK OR REQUESTS

If there is anything about the Campus, the accommodation, the food or the physical experience of being at Cumorah Academy that you’d like to change or improve, please use this link and fill in the appropriate form.

Students can travel off campus any time they wish as long as it does not interfere with lessons or studies.

Using your weekend time to travel is a great way to see the beautiful Czech Republic and we recommend it.

However there some important rules to follow before you leave campus:

BASIC RULES BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE CAMPUS

For short term departures that do not affect your studies: sign your name in the log book at the reception desk with the time of your departure, the reason for it, and your estimated time of return.

When you return, please confirm your return time and sign it.

These rules are for your safety in this country. If you do not come back by the indicated time, Cumorah Academy Staff will contact you to make sure that you’re okay and to arrange for assistance if needed.

If you are going to miss a meal, please contact the Cumorah Academy Staff (Rebeka or Eva) at least 48 hours in advance so that we can cancel your meal allowance. If you do not cancel a meal and one is cooked and then wasted for you, you may be charged 150kc or €5 for the meal you missed.

For long term departures: if your absence will affect your classes, you need to send a written request (email) to Iain with the dates and times of your departure, the classes you will miss and the reason for your departure.

We reserve the right to terminate studies and scholarships for unauthorized absences that affect your studies.

MEANS OF TRANSPORT AND TIPS FOR TRAVEL

There are various ways to travel to and from campus. Here are some options:

PUBLIC TRANSPORT USING’IDOS’ - THE TRAVEL APP

When travelling on public transport in CZ, we recommend you install the 'IDOS' app on your phone using these links in your Apple App Store or Google Play for Android phones

The language, if needed, can be changed in “Settings” – “Language”.

We recommended that you select ALL Timetables in the Timetable options. That will allow you to use all the timetables in all the cities across the Czech Republic.

Using the Connections function will allow you to travel from the area around the campus to the neighboring towns (Vlašim and Benešov) and on to Prague.

Bus stops closest to campus:

• Načeradec, Pravětice

• Načeradec

• Kamberk

To travel to the airport, we recommend:

• Taking the bus from Kamberk or Naceradec to Praha, Roztyly and then using Prague public transport (underground, then bus service) to Terminal 2 (inside EU) and Terminal 1 (outside EU)

• to take the bus from Kamberk or Naceradec to Benešov, then take the train to Prague main train station (Hlavni Nadrazi), and then take the Airport Express (AE) from the upper level of the train station to the airport (buy the ticket from Benešov and the AE ticket at the railway station in Benešov).

When taking public transport, there are often discounts for students if you have an ISIC that you can show to a driver or inspector. On buses outside of the city, you pay the driver in CZK (not Euros) when you enter the bus. On trains and Prague public transport, you purchase a ticket and validate it by sliding it into special validation machines before you enter a vehicle.

WALKING USING ‘MAPY.CZ’

It is a great online and offline tool to help you orient yourself in CZ (and outside). Perfect for finding your bus stop or looking for places to visit for their natural or historical relevance, or just walking around campus. The app is called Mapy.cz and you can install it from your App Store or Google Play. We recommend using the ‘outdoor’ map option for outdoor walks and cycling.

BY CAR - PRIVATE SHARED DRIVE

An approved Cumorah Academy driver can organize (or help to organize) a private shared drive off-campus trip during your free time.

The prerequisites for the trip are:

• the vehicle is not needed for official business

• all students on the trip will share the fuel costs and pay in advance of the trip (not after)

• the driver must take a picture of the km of the vehicle at the beginning of the ride and at the end

• the driver records the km in the appropriate notebook

• the driver collects the appropriate amount of money before departure and then give it to Pavlína.

• the driver has the right to refuse to drive anyone who does not pay their share of the fuel cost.

BY CAR: PAID RIDE WITH CUMORAH ACADEMY STAFF MEMBERS

In case you prefer to ride with a Cumorah Academy Staff Member or your other travel arrangements require it, you can arrange a ride a minimum 48 hours in advance. The pricing to different locations is as follows (these may go up as fuel prices rise):

• Naceradec (Nearest bus stop village): 100 CZK or 4 Euros

• Vlašim 340 CZK or 14 EUR

• Benešov 625 CZK or 25 EUR

• Prague (airport) 2500 CZK or 100 EUR

The price stays the same for any number of people so you can divide this cost between you e.g. 4 people to Prague would be 25 Euros each.

You must pay before your journey.

ORGANIZED TRIPS

Cumorah Academy organizes trips outside of campus grounds from time to time (see excursions). The places are carefully selected for maximum impact and enjoyment of the students.

FOR MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

CHURCH MEETINGS

All students are welcome to attend church services at 10am run by the CAAC or other authorized members and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints each Sunday. Church services are run under the authorized direction of the Europe Area Presidency and the Prague, Czechia Stake.

There may be other special devotionals by visiting general authorities which you are also welcome to attend.

MEMBERSHIP RECORDS

Your church membership records stay in your home ward.

CALLINGS

IN YOUR HOME WARD

Inform your priesthood leader (Bishop, Branch President for Ward callings, Stake or District President for Stake or District callings) that you will be away and how long you will be away for and make the necessary arrangements at home to cover your absence or complete your duties remotely.

ON CAMPUS

On campus, students may be assigned to complete roles in order to help church to function effectively on campus. These roles may be things such as priesthood, relief society or Sunday school leaders, teachers, pianists and so on.

These assignments are made under the direction of the Prague Ward Bishopric, but they are temporary assignments, not callings. They will not appear on your church records.

TEMPLE TRIPS

We will organize one temple trip per semester to the Frieberg Germany Temple when travel restrictions allow. For students who would like to attend the temple, you’ll need to bring a valid temple recommend and, preferably, some family file to work on.

We will inform you of the dates of these trips on campus.

FAITH COUNSELLING

If you need to talk to someone about your faith challenges or personal issues you can talk to the Cumorah Academy Advisory Couple. However, if you need to talk about worthiness issues, call your home bishop or branch president.

FOR MEMBERS OF OTHER FAITHS
CHURCH MEETINGS

All students are welcome to attend any church-related meeting, worship service or activity on Campus. There are no restrictions, we simply ask for your kind respect whilst attending.

If you wish to attend a worship service of your own faith. Please locate the nearest congregation and arrange transport yourself, either with staff members or on public transport for the date and time of your choosing. If you need help, we’ll do our best to help you get there where circumstances allow.

MISSIONARIES FROM THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Some missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will visit campus from time to time. They are here to help with the programs and attend on specific assignments or in response to a specific request. They are not here to engage in public preaching or attempt to convert people from other faiths that have not asked for their teaching.

Some days you may also see young missionaries. They are visitors and will attend to assist with church meetings or other specific meetings. Please feel free to interact with them, they are under instructions not to try and convert you.

Of course, if you would like to talk to them about their religion, they will be happy to do so, but they will not approach you for this purpose so it will be up to you to choose whether you would like to interact with them in this way.

FOR ALL STUDENTS

FAST SUNDAY

The first Sunday of the month is a day of fasting and prayer for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We call this time ‘Fast Sunday’. On Fast Sunday, members fast for two meals, using their time to pray for specific purposes and donating the money saved to the church’s charitable fund called ‘fast offering’. Money from this time is used for welfare projects both locally and all over the world.

On Fast Sunday, if you are going to miss meals, you'll need to sign up using the form on the board in the common room. On the form you will show us which meals you are missing. That way, the kitchen knows how much food to prepare and we do not waste food. 

SUNDAY / SABBATH 

Sunday is a day most Christians call the Sabbath day. On this day, please be respectful of the worship of others.

Those who respect the sabbath avoid certain types of sports, music and entertainment that are not worshipful. Instead, they attend worship services, sing together, socialize together, play board games together and do wholesome group activities. They may do family history, write to family members and friends, write in journals, create art or organize personal history records. Each person will generally try to make the day a time of personal and spiritual renewal.

We ask that you respect this and avoid activities such as loud music, sweaty sports or types of entertainment that would interrupt the worship of others on the Sabbath day.

FAITH AND RESPECT

Students of the Cumorah Academy are expected to learn and grow together in respect and friendship regardless of our personal faith. We are, however, a faith-based school and ask God to be an active participant in all our work. This creed affects the rules that you’ll see in the next section of the guidebook.

In addition, we ask all students to:

- Be peacemakers in all situations and avoid contention.

- Avoid Bible-bashing or anything like it.

- Listen with respect to other’s views and be willing to learn from one another.

- Avoid trying to directly convert one another if you are of different faiths. Feel free to have religious discussions guided by the Spirit of God, these are wonderful experiences but let people choose their own path, follow their Spirit according to their understanding and respect their choice.

At Cumorah Academy we know that the joy of success in life comes through setting and living by high standards. Whilst our education standards are based on the teachings and examples of wise and successful people, our living standards are based on the clean-living principles of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. These standards may be familiar or unfamiliar to you but please take time to read the information below.

STUDENTS AT CUMORAH ACADEMY ARE:

HONEST - All students and staff are honest in their communication and actions. They love the truth and seek after it in personal living, in conversation, personal and business interactions.

KIND - All students and staff treat each other with kindness and respect. They recognise that each personal is unique and beloved child of God, whatever their faith, race colour or creed, and treat them accordingly

DILLIGENT - All students turn up to class on-time (meaning 5 to 10 minutes before the start of class), get up and go to bed on time, work hard to complete assignments and learn the lessons that are available.

MORAL - All students and staff live morally clean lives in their actions, interactions and personal lives. They are chaste, virtuous, and clean living. They dress modestly(1)  and respect their own bodies and those of others. They are clean in their conversations and the media they consume.

HEALTHY - All students and staff keep the Lord’s law of health, known as the ‘Word of Wisdom’ in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They live healthily, control their appetites, and follow prophetic counsel on how they treat their bodies.

PEACEMAKERS - All students and staff are peacemakers. They seek to ‘establish peace’, avoid contention and help resolve conflicts. The do not bring weapons of any kind onto campus. They do not harm themselves or others in word or deed.

(Note 1) Modest dress means clothing that covers the body and is not see-through, tight, or revealing. Regular clothing (clothing worn for most activities except for sports) should cover the shoulders, chest, back, and stomach. Skirts, dresses, and shorts should cover the thighs. Sports clothing should not be needlessly tight or revealing. Men should not remove their shirts for sport. Women should keep their midriff (stomach and lower back) covered. If in doubt, ask a senior staff member, or look at what the students are wearing in the pictures in this guide and in CA publicity.

DISCIPLINE AT CUMORAH ACADEMY

CAUSES FOR DISCIPLINE

Actions that are in opposition to the above standards and will result in disciplinary action, Such actions include:

DISHONESTY. Including but not limited to lying, cheating and stealing.

UNKIND OR ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR. Including but not limited to the use of foul language (swearing), verbal abuse of any kind, racism, sexism, or any other discriminatory language or behaviour. Being disrespectful or abusive to staff members or your fellow students.

LACK OF DILIGENCE. Including but not limited to missing classes without offering a good reason ahead of time, being consistently late, or failing to complete assignments. Repeatedly breaking evening quiet-time or being out of dorms after 11.45 pm. Not completing scholarship work commitments.

IMMORALITY. Including but not limited to watching or bringing pornography onto campus. Engaging in any sexual relations outside of the sacred bonds of marriage during their time as a student. Consistently dressing in immodest or provocative clothing. Deliberate displays of public nudity. Lewd or salacious talk.

LACK OF RESPECT FOR HEALTH LAWS. Including but not limited to consuming alcohol at any time as a student, or bringing such onto campus, using tobacco products (including smoking, chewing, or vaping), consuming coffee in any form, or consuming any form of black or green tea.

PROMOTING CONFLICT. Including but not limited to initiating or wilfully taking part in physical or verbal conflict. Use of or carrying weapons outside of designated activities that may involve such.

TYPES OF DISCIPLINE

In such times and places that a student does not follow these standards, disciplinary actions may be taken. These may include:

1) Informal – the student is informally warned by a teacher or other member of staff that their behaviour is inappropriate and must change.

2) Formal Warning – student is told that the have been formally warned and it will go on their student record. The name and details of the offence or offences are placed in the disciplinary record. After a 3rd warning of this type, students will go before a disciplinary panel.

3) Called to disciplinary panel – a panel consisting of a director, a member of the school team, and one or both members of the current Cumorah Academy Couple will discuss and consider actions including but not limited to

a. removal of scholarship

b. terminating the student’s studies and sending them home

c. a probationary period to allow for improvement.

d. Other actions as deemed appropriate by the panel

In all cases, the best interests of the entire staff and student body as well as those of the student involved will be taken into account. We love our students dearly and hope that no such discipline will ever need to be applied.

SOME IMPORTANT DETAILS ON THE RULES

TURN UP FOR YOUR CLASSES

Unless you are sick or have been given permission to miss class, you should always turn up for class.

Telling a friend that you are not coming is not enough. You need to get permission from a member of staff (Jan, Iain, Patrick, Rebeka, Nina, Madara or Eva) to miss a class.

You can leave campus in your own free time for walks, trips or bike rides, but if you don’t turn up for class we will need to know where you are.

If you miss a class without letting anyone know why and for no good reason you will receive an official warning. If the action is repeated you may face a disciplinary panel or even be sent home.

DON’T BE LATE TO YOUR CLASSES

Always aim to be 10 minutes early to class. The campus is not physically massive enough to get lost or get delayed between your room and your classroom, so there are very few reasons to be late.

If you are late, you may not be allowed into your class at all. The teacher had the right to lock the door when the class is supposed to start so always be early. On-time is already too late. Students who are regularly late may receive an official warning.

Students who are on-time also receive points towards the house cup from time to time.

QUIET TIME / BED TIME

Sunday to Thursday

All activities, dances, sauna time and so on must finish before 10.30pm from Sunday to Thursday.

Between 10.30pm and 6.30am is quiet time on campus. Do not make noise that will disturb others during this time. Do not have conversations in the hallways or on the stairs during this time.

You are allowed to socialize in the common room, zebra room, conference room, wellness or gym till 11.30pm as long as you do not disturb others. If you are outside in the gardens or on the terraces, keep your activities and socializing quiet and leave the area by 11.30pm.

Exterior doors are locked at 9pm, make sure you have your key if you are out after 9pm. Your key does not work on the reception door to the common room. It only works on the large wooden double-doors facing west.

All students must be in their rooms by 12am midnight. Students out of bed past this time may receive an official warning, if the action is repeated, they may face a disciplinary panel or even be sent home.

Friday

As there are no classes on Saturday there is no specific quite time on Friday evenings and bed-time can be made later on Fridays by request.

For this to happen, a member of the activities committee must ask the most senior member of staff on campus for permission at least 1 day (24 hours) ahead of time. They must state the reason and how long the activity will last.

No activity should last longer than 2am on Saturday morning. We will then announce the change to all other students so that everyone is aware that it will be noisier that evening.

Saturday

Quiet time on Saturday starts at 12am midnight. All activities must finish before 12am midnight.

ACCIDENT PREVENTION

Please work to prevent accidents in the following ways:

Always wear protective equipment – helmets on bikes and quads.

Always wear reflective vests or clothing when off-campus in the dark, this is law in the Czech Republic

Be aware of potential risks and report anything you consider dangerous to staff members immediately

Follow standards of safety on the stairs, in the gym and in other places around campus

Always use the bikes in pairs

Never enter the campus workroom unless accompanied by a member of staff

Play sport respectfully and be aware of the safety of those around you

IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT

If no-one was injured but there was damage to property, please talk to a member of staff and fully report the damage, how damage happened and any other details that would be helpful.

Please do not hide damage, we’re generally pretty nice about it and just want to get it fixed.

If someone was injured immediately contact a member of staff. Call emergency services if needed (see section on emergencies).

If you feel you need to see a doctor talk to a senior member of staff about arranging an appointment and have all your health insurance and identification documents ready with you when you go.

IN THE EVENT OF ILLNESS

If you feel unwell, talk to a member of staff. Some basic medication is available on campus at reception. If you continue to feel unwell, talk to a member of staff about visiting a doctor.

Staff members need to fill out a form for each accident or illness so they may need additional information from you, so please be helpful with their questions.

IF THERE’S A PROBLEM…

If you are struggling with your courses, talk to your course supervisor and seek a solution together.

If you are struggling with your roommates, first talk to them in a spirit of love and kindness and see if you can’t resolve the situation together. If not, talk to a member of the school staff.

If you are struggling spiritually, you can talk in confidence to Iain, Jan or Patrick, all of whom have been or currently are serving in high callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If you are struggling with mental health, you can call one of our listed mental health counsellors (contacts are on the school board) for a free counselling session. If you need further counselling from a professional there may be some cost involved. Should you be unable to pay the cost, talk to Jan, Patrick or Iain about getting some financial assistance.

If you need to confess something to a Bishop, all Cumorah Academy students can talk to Bishop Jiri Ambroz of the Prague Ward in complete confidentiality. A senior member of staff can provide you with his contact details. If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you can also, of course, call your home Bishop or Branch President as well.

If you have a complaint about anything, please talk to Iain directly. If you wish to complain or share something anonymously, please write on a piece of paper, fold it and place it under Iain’s office door - room 22.

STANDARDS OF LIVING

As mentioned earlier all students and staff know that breaking their scholarship agreement or the Standards of Living may result in the end of their involvement with Cumorah Academy.

We encourage everyone to seek the Spirit in their interactions with each other, to be a peacemaker in times of contention, an inspiration in times of instruction and an example of the believers in all things.

We live as a community that follows the standards laid out by prophetic revelation in the standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We ask all who join us to abide by the same standards regardless of their religious or ideological background.

MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING

Students must not attempt to recruit other students to firms that use multi-level marketing to grow their business whilst on campus. If you are involved in Amway, Herbalife, doTerra, NuSkin or any other similar company, you must not recruit on campus.

Whilst we recognize that some donors, mentors and even students may have connections to companies that operate via a multi-level marketing approach. Cumorah Academy does not promote or recruit for any multi-level marketing organization and strictly prohibits such activity on campus.

POLICY ON DISCRIMINATION

Cumorah Academy firmly believes that God “inviteth … all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” 2 Nephi 26:33

We actively avoid discrimination, antagonism or prejudice of any kind against any group or individual. We invite all who are willing to abide by our standards to partake of our programs no matter their personal, racial, political or religious background.

Behavior, teachings or conversations that encourage, promote, glorify or perpetuate current or historical racism, sexism or any other form of discriminatory behavior is a serious offense before God and is taken very seriously at Cumorah Academy and will often result in a student being sent home.

We ask all our students and mentors to create a safe environment for all people, to exemplify Christ-like standards and to report any instances of discriminatory behavior to senior staff.

POLICY ON ABUSE

You are precious to us. The very thought that any student should suffer abuse of any kind at Cumorah Academy is horrifying to us and we will take immediate action if we encounter such behavior in students or staff. Abuse of any kind will result in the instigator of such abuse being sent home and, in more serious cases, facing civil and criminal investigation.

Abuse is when any individual purposefully harms another in any way. This includes physical abuse, psychological abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, or emotional abuse.

If you encounter abusive behavior towards yourself or others, please report it immediately to Iain or Jan.

Your fellow students come from varying backgrounds and some may have suffered abuse in their past. If they talk about this with you, please listen carefully and without judgement. Some basic principles in these situations are: do not promise to keep anything a secret as this perpetuates abuse. Write down everything they told you as soon as you can after the conversation. Do not say anything that suggests abuse is the fault of the victim. And always report what you’ve learnt.

These situations are very delicate, especially when one of your fellow students puts you in a position of trust with such difficult and hurtful information. Remember, you are not a counsellor or a professional. Listen with love and get help where need. Some principles that can help guide you in all such situations are outlined in abuse.churchofjesuschrist.org and in counselingresources.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and we recommend reviewing these principles to all involved at Cumorah Academy.

In your personal conduct, please take sensible precautions to avoid situations where abuse may occur or be perceived.

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

CAMPUS

For on-Campus emergencies you can call our 24-hour emergency hotline number:

☎+420 725 906 060. ☎

The phone is connected to WhatsApp and a member of staff will have it on them at all times.

Please call this number only if:

- there is an emergency and no staff members are at reception of available.

Do not call this number for repairs, suggestions or comments.

GENERAL

In the event of an emergency requiring an ambulance, police or the fire services in the Czech Republic, call 112 for emergency services.

You can also call directly to:

• 158 for State Police (criminal offenses)

• 156 for Local Police (civil offenses)

• 150 for the Fire Brigade

• 155 for medical emergencies

However, 112 will do for all these services.

For immediate first-aid assistance on site call:

• The campus emergency hotline +420 725 906 060

• Roman Cadeni (Tel: +420 723 941 800)

You can also head to the reception area or the kitchen next to the conference room for emergency first aid equipment.

Miluška, the Campus facilities manager at the reception is also first-aid qualified.

For other student welfare issues contact:

• Iain Saunders (Tel: +420 737 603 356)

• Kelly Shepherd (Tel: + +1 801 425 2186)

• Emergency Number: (+420 725 906 060)

We know that it’s not easy to leave after all those weeks with your fellow students and staff. As you to work with and support each other, you will create lasting friendships that will bless both your life and your fellow student’s lives.

ALUMNI LIFE PLAN

You’ll begin the ‘Alumni Life Plan’ journey in the final week before you leave Cumorah Academy, starting a range of tasks to help you implement the lessons you’ve learnt with us.

These tasks will continue on for a time after you’ve graduated and form part of the alumni meetings you’ll be invited to once it’s all over.

GRADUATION

At the end of the semester, you will be involved in a graduation ceremony where you will receive certificates for the courses you have successfully completed.

Your certificate will include information about the course, the number of hours the course required, the achievements you’ll have reached in order to complete the course.

Your student report will offer a detailed review of your performance in each area and an overall grade.

The House Cup will be presented to the winning group along with individual awards and recognitions.

There will also be a final dinner and dance to celebrate the end of the semester.

CHECK-OUT

Please pack all personal belongs and leave your room tidy, clean and in a state that you would be happy for someone else to come and live there.

Any damage to the rooms should be reported to campus staff.

Return your key and your black towel to reception and ensure that you get your key-deposit back before you leave.

FINANCES

Please ensure that all of your agreed-upon contributions are fully paid before you leave. You can pay contributions here.

Also, please ensure that you have paid for any additional snacks, toiletries, souvenirs, Cumorah Academy merchandise and other campus products that you have taken before you leave.

WHAT IS IT?

Each semester we select a number of students to be Cumorah Academy Ambassadors.

These students will receive a 7 to 10-day all-expenses paid trip to Utah which includes:

- Flights to and from Salt Lake City, Utah

- Accommodation in Patrick and Allyses’s massive mountain retreat home

- A chance to go and watch general conference live

- A Tour of some of Utah’s places of outstanding natural beauty.

In return, ambassadors are asked to share their stories with donors and potential donors before, during and after the trip to help raise donations and awareness of the work we do.

HOW DO I QUALIFY?

To qualify to be an ambassador you need:

- Full class attendance

- To complete all your major assignments

- Be an excellent presenter in our public presentation final presentations

- Show outstanding behaviour, attitude and have a positive personal outlook

- Be diligent in your scholarship commitments

- Show personal progress inside and outside of the classroom

The selection process will be completed by the end of the semester. Iain, Patrick, Jan, the Cumorah Academy Advisory Couple, the staff team, the mentors and interns will all be involved in the final decision, though Patrick, Jan and Iain will have the final casting votes. You overall grade in your student report will have a strong effect on your chances at becoming an ambassador. You will need to score an ‘Outstanding’ grade to qualify.

If you’d like to be considered for the Ambassador Program, write to Iain giving reasons why you would be an excellent Cumorah Academy Ambassador.

Once again, thank you for your time, energy, strength and devotion. We know it’s worth it and pray that your experiences will be a strength and a guide to you and the people you serve now and in the future.

Iain R Saunders –Director