Christian Homeschool Co-op is designed as a ministry to homeschooling families with school-aged children. Therefore we ask you to wait to join the CHC until your oldest child who will be attending co-op is at least 5 years of age (by Sept. 1 of the current school year). If you have school-aged children, classes are available for ages birth through 12th grade. A parent is expected to stay and serve in a classroom.
Also, you must complete your registration with the state of New Mexico as a homeschool in order to register for CHC.
Parent Expectations:
- To serve in the co-op as a classroom teacher or assistant for the duration of the semester.
- To inform the co-op as soon as possible when you know that you are going to miss a co-op, so that the council can be aware of any adult absences and maintain safe student to teacher ratios in the classrooms.
- To have at least one parent from each family remain in the church building (or on the playground with a co-op class) during co-op. If it is not possible to have a parent at co-op on a certain day due to illness, you must have a designated adult co-op member who is in the church building during co-op and who is willing to be responsible for the care of your children. Please let the co-op leader know if you are sending your children to co-op with a co-op member who is not their parent.
- To encourage their children to fully participate in the co-op by:
a. Arriving on time
b. Explaining the rules of the co-op to their children
c. Helping them complete any homework assignments - To drop off and pick up their children from the classrooms in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of the parent to use the claim check system responsibly. The person picking up a child from a classroom must have a claim check, which will be given to the parent when the parent checks her/his child in. Your children are required to stay with you before and after classes.
- To be willing to help where needed.
- To bring any difficulties to the leadership.
- Do not bring children to co-op who have shown any symptom of illness in the last 24 hours, including but not limited to vomiting, diarrhea or fever.
- If your child has a severe food allergy, you are responsible for bringing a separate snack and making sure that the classroom environment is safe for him/her. Teachers and assistants are made aware of all food allergies, and we take these very seriously, but the child's parent is ultimately held responsible for making sure that his/her own child does not consume something that would endanger him/herself.
Teacher / Assistant Expectations
- In order to be a lead teacher in a classroom, you must sign your agreement to the Core Beliefs, and you must have participated in the Fellowship Group for at least one semester (Ladies Only) and assisted in a co-op classroom for at least one semester before becoming a lead teacher. All teachers and assistants must also fill out a Parent Application. If you have any questions about these requirements, please contact a council member.
- Lead Teachers are asked to communicate the expectations of the class to the parents prior to registration. For example: level of reading required, amount of homework, additional costs, and supplies needed.
- Lead Teachers are expected to present class topics and/or curriculum to the council members for approval.
- Lead Teachers may use the supply carts provided by the council. If your class will need additional supplies, this must be stated in your class description (max of $10-$15/child). The teacher will be responsible for collecting the fees. If you happen to have excess money from what you collected, you may turn it over to the council and we will collectively donate all funds to Netherwood one time per year.
- Lead Teachers: If you plan on having a guest speaker for a class, you need to submit a request to council no LATER THAN two weeks before your guest plans to attend. Information to be submitted is as follows: Name of guest, reason for attending, date will be attending, and brief description of information to be presented to students. Once council has approved your guest, he/she needs to sign in at the info desk and get a name tag the day of the planned visit.
- Lead Teachers: Communicate with your class parents and assistant teachers via email. Once classes have been assigned, you will be able to log into your account and message your assistant teachers and student's families. Use this tool to send messages regarding class work, snack sign ups, etc.
- Lead Teachers: Be aware of emergency evacuation/situation plans. These are discussed the first day of class by a council member with each lead teacher.
- In the event the teacher or assistant will not be at the co-op, they need to inform the co-op as soon as possible but no later than 8:00 a.m. the morning of co-op. In addition, the teacher should make arrangements with a classroom assistant to teach the class in his/her absence, and let the co-op leader know who will be taking your place. If the teacher needs assistance in arranging a substitute teacher contact the co-op leader.
- Assistants should be active in encouraging students to be attentive and participate in class, and should themselves stay off their cell phone and be enaged. Assistants should also offer to help the lead teacher as needed; this could include leading a group of children in an activity, taking materials home to help the teacher prepare for class, or anything else that will help to lighten the workload of the lead teacher.
- Assistants also need to be prepared to arrive at co-op no later than 9:15, and to stay a few minutes after class to help the teacher with checking children in and out of the classroom. This can be done on a rotating basis with the other classroom assistants.
- Assistants should clean up their classroom after each co-op. Wiping down tables, bagging the trash, stacking chairs, and vaccuuming if needed. Return everything to its original place. Also, bring clipboard and door sign to council table.
- Teachers and Assistants should pick up their children from their classes in a timely manner at the end of co-op. In order to do this, the adults in a classroom take turns picking up their children at the end of co-op, then return to their own classroom with their own children, and wait with the remaining classroom children while the other teachers & assistants take a turn picking up their children.
- Teachers and Assistants should follow the disciplinary procedures for the co-op:
a. Explain to the children the expected rules of the class. Review rules at each class meeting.
b. Address the child directly when they are misbehaving.
c. Notify the parent promptly regarding the child’s behavior, and discuss the situation with co-op leadership if needed.
d. In the event the behavior does not change, the leadership will handle the removal of the student from class. - Teachers and Assistants need to pay close attention to food allergies and make the classroom environment as safe as possible for food allergic children.
Student Expectations:
- Be respectful, pay attention, and submit to the authority of the teachers.
- Restore the relationship in the event of an offense to an adult or another child.
- Demonstrate a willingness to learn by participating in class.
- Come prepared by having homework assignments completed and bringing all necessary materials.
- Show respect for all the students in the co-op.
- Behave appropriately in the church before, during and after the co-op.
a. Walk (don’t run) through the hallways.
b. Stay with your class during the co-op.
c. Wait for parent to pick-up after class.