Family Handbook

Seattle Christian Homeschool Co-op 

A ministry of City Calvary Chapel

CCC Contact Information & Websites

City Calvary Chapel 15211 – 15th Ave. NE Shoreline, WA 98155 (206) 709-9416 www.citycalvarychapel.org

Seattle Christian Homeschool Co-op: Welcome to Seattle Christian Homeschool Co-op! We are a community desiring to assist parents (who are ultimately accountable for training their children - Proverbs 22:6) by providing instruction in a variety of academic, character, and creative pursuits from a Biblical Christian perspective. SCHC is a group of families committed to homeschooling. It is a place where families who are using home education as a tool to disciple their children are encouraged and find fellowship. It is a place where minds are developed, hearts are nourished, friendships grow, and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ is magnified. Seattle Christian Homeschool Co-op is a ministry of City Calvary Chapel (CCC).

We are a mid-size cooperative offering classes from preschool through high school.We are a co-op in the true sense of the word “cooperative.” At least one parent from each family is expected to take on teaching or assistant teaching responsibilities during the year and families also help with set-up and clean-up on a rotating basis.

Central to each day is Chapel, where we gather as a community for worship and devotions led by various classes, students, and families. In addition to classes – which are primarily parent-taught – the co-op offers lunch together in the Fellowship Hall and special co-op-wide events.

The co-op board meets generally once a month. Meetings are open to any co-op member who wishes to attend. We pray that the co-op will be a blessing to you in your parenting journey. 

Sincerely,
The Co-op Board

Mission Statement
Our mission as a Christian homeschool co-op is to support families who are raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We use God centered classrooms as a venue to teach children about God. We aim to have a place of fellowship, encouragement and fun for families. While we all may home educate in different ways, on Friday we come together and encourage one another in the centrality of Christ in our lives.

Statement of Faith
The sole basis for our belief comes from the Bible in its entirety. It is the inspired, inerrant word of God and is the final authority on all matters on which it bears. We believe the Bible teaches that there is one infinite and personal God who is eternally existent in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God created mankind to have a loving relationship with Him, but we defied God by sinfully rejecting Him. As a result, each one of us needs God's saving grace to end our separation from Him. This grace comes as a result of Jesus Christ, who is both fully God and fully man, dying on the cross and rising from the dead. It was upon the cross He completely paid the price of our sinfulness and is now offering the gift of eternal life. If a person wants to receive this gift, he/she must repent of his/her sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone for eternal salvation.

Calendar: SCHC meets on Fridays from mid-September through mid-May.
Class/Semester Breakdown(all grades):
Semester 1 (15 weeks): September – mid-January
Semester 2 (15 weeks): mid-January- mid-May

The daily schedule is:
Block A Classes ~ 8:45/9:15 - 10:10
Block B Classes ~ 10:15 - 11:10
Chapel (Mandatory) ~ 11:15 - 11:45
Lunch ~ 11:45 - 12:30
Block C Classes ~ 12:30 - 1:25
Block D Classes~ 1:30 - 2:25/3:00
Church Clean-up (rotating families each week) ~ 2:45

STARS Program
Expectations for student conduct are described by the STARS program. A STAR Student...

Submits to authority (focus in September, March) 
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.  Fear God. Honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:17

• Looks at the teacher and other students when he or she is speaking 

• Does not speak out of turn or cause distractions in the classroom

• Honors the authority of teachers and adults at co-op

Tries his/her best (focus in October, April)
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” Ecclesiastes 9:10 

• Does not give up when an assignment is difficult 

• Follows directions the first time they are given

• Invests time and energy into studying

Abounds in good deeds (November, May)
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16

• Helps teachers and other students without being asked 

• Asks, “What can I do to help?”

• Is a good example to other students of godly behavior

Respects others (December, January) 
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled,upright and godly lives in this present age.” Titus 2:11-12

• Speaks with honor to and about teachers and students 

• Does not participate in gossip or spreading of rumors

• Respects other’s personal space and property, including the church building

Shows kindness (focus in February)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

• Does nothing out of selfish ambition

• Considers others as better than him/herself

• Looks out for the interest of others

Order of Discipline under the STARS Program
All teachers and assistants will demonstrate love, grace, and helpfulness to all students. However, this does not mean that inappropriate behavior will be tolerated. If a student exhibits inappropriate classroom behavior, the teacher or assistant will call their name ONCE and ask for their attention. If the disruptive behavior then continues, the following will happen sequentially:

• The student will receive a verbal warning. A student may only receive ONE warning per class period.

• If inappropriate behavior continues in the same class period after being warned, their parent will be asked to assist the student in class for the day or the student will be taken to their parent if he/she is teaching. 

• If it is necessary for a student’s parent to be approached three times for behavioral reasons, a counseling appointment will be scheduled that will include Pastor Aydelott (or a co-op male leadership), the parent, and the student. 

• Two meetings are grounds for dismissal from co-op. Incidents involving bullying, physically harming another person or property damage will bypass the first two steps and lead immediately to the third step.

This is not an exhaustive list of desired behavior and co-op members should always be guided by Christ's Golden Rule: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.

Standards Committee
The Standards Committee was created to help oversee the Stars program. If a situation arises that needs mediation between co-op members, this committee is available to help support, navigate and mediate a conversation between hurt parties in hopes of reconciling an issue or disagreement. If needed a meeting can also be arranged with CCC senior pastor John Aydelott or an elder.

 

Parent Expectations
All parents are required to contribute to the co-op's operation in these ways:

All non-teaching jobs (class assistant, nursery, subs, and hall monitor) will be assigned by the Director. You must attend co-op long enough to fulfill your job responsibility.

Co-op members are expected to help clean the facility on a rotating basis each Friday. If you are unable to clean on your assigned day, you will need to make arrangements by trading with another family. If you do not show up to clean, you will be assessed a $40 fee. If you drop out of co-op, you will still be responsible for your cleaning days. If you are unable to clean, we recommend paying a teen; talk to Mrs. Clean for details. In an emergency situation, such as your family is sick, please call Mrs. Clean (see p.2 for contact information) before 10 a.m; you will then be rescheduled to clean on another date.

Be present at the co-op premises while any of your children are at co-op. In an emergency situation, you can leave the co-op premises if another parent who is at co-op agrees to be responsible for your children at co-op while you are gone; however, you must complete and sign the Guardianship form. This form is available at the information table.

All children on co-op premises are to be registered with the co-op. If an emergency situation arises where you will be caring for someone else's child who is not registered within the co-op and you need to bring them to co-op on Friday, please notify the Secretary. Complete and return a background check form for any adult who you anticipate fulfilling your co- op responsibilities.

What is true for the students is also true for co-op parents: This is not an exhaustive list of desired behavior and co-op members should always be guided by Christ's Golden Rule: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.

 

Student Expectations
Students are expected to contribute to the co-op's operation in these ways:
Abide by the STARS “code of conduct” (detailed on page 3).
*Clean up classrooms at the end of each class period before being dismissed, including:
*Throw away garbage and recyclables.
*Take all personal items (backpacks, notebooks, papers, etc.) along when exiting the classroom and at the end of the co-op day.
*Participate in co-op clean-up according to each family's schedule.
*Stay within the church building, parking lot play area and courtyard during the co-op day. *Older students: Please help by keeping outside doors and gates closed and by helping any younger students back inside if necessary.
*If not participating in a class at any time during the co-op day, students may be in the Fellowship Hall, Courtyard, or study hall in the Living Room.
*The Living Room is a quiet study area. Please be respectful of students who are studying; conversations between students should be taken to the Fellowship Hall or courtyard.
*Students are not to be in unused classrooms.

Building Use Rules
Indoors: Hallways: Students are expected to WALK in the hallways. Running and horseplay are not permitted. The hallway located upstairs between the church office and the nursery will be off- limits during co-op hours. If students have a class in Room 205, they may ONLY use the back stairwell to get to and from their class.

Sanctuary: No students are allowed on the sanctuary stage or in the sound booth. The Sanctuary is only available to students during chapel, a specific class using the Sanctuary or during clean-up (those people responsible for clean-up only). There should be NO FOOD anywhere upstairs (the sanctuary, foyer, hallway, etc.).

Wheeled Devices: Due to liability, damage and safety issues, no recreational ride-on or wheeled devices will be permitted at co-op. This includes: skateboards, scooters, roller skates, "Heelys" tennis shoes and bicycles.

Recess Area:  A variety of outdoor toys are available for 3rd graders and up in the designated recess area coned off in the back corner of the parking lot with parent permission. Toys must remain in this area.

Fountain: No playing in or on the water fountain or placing leaves, food, wood chips, or garbage in the fountain.

Playground Fort: For the 2nd grade and younger students with parent permission. No climbing on the roof of the fort. No throwing wood chips.

If your child eats lunch outside please make sure they throw away all trash in the garbage cans.

Co-op Policies:

Lunch Policy : Lunch is eaten in the CCC Fellowship Hall, in the courtyard, room 105 or 106. Food should not be eaten in other rooms, unless it is part of a class activity. Lunch items should be packed up or disposed of, as appropriate, before leaving the lunch area. Please do not take food upstairs.

Lunches may be stored on the buffet table along the east wall of the Fellowship Hall. At the end of lunch, please wipe down the table and chairs your family used. Wipes are available near the sink in the Fellowship Hall. If you plan on eating lunch in rooms 105 or 106 please have your area cleaned up and vacated by 12:20pm, so the block C teachers have time for set-up.

Playground Policy: No playground supervisors will be on duty during the co-op day. Parents allow their children to play on the playground at their own risk. Each parent is responsible for supervising their own children, finding another responsible adult to supervise their children, or allowing their children to play unsupervised.

Students with Special Needs

Our co-op is not set up to accommodate students with special needs for the following reasons:

Teachers are primarily parents who teach in their special areas of interest, education, or expertise, but most of whom are not trained as professional teachers. Since classes meet for 55 minutes once a week, there is not extra time to spend with an individual student who regularly needs extra help. In some instances, students with special needs are capable of participating in a co-op class, but parents should be in close contact with the teachers and may be required to sit in the classroom with their student.

If your student has a special need that teachers should be aware of, please be sure to let your teachers know.

 

Guests
Non-familial children who accompany a family to co-op:
As mentioned above in the Parent Expectation section, this is only permitted under emergency situations. You must contact the Secretary if you need to bring a non-registered child to co-op for the day. Please make sure their presence does not interfere with your ability to fulfill your co- op responsibilities.

Adult guests:
Please sign in your guest at the info table in the fellowship hall. You must have teacher approval ahead of time to send a guest to a class with your child. Please make sure your guest understands the expectations of behavior and building rules at the co-op.

Toys and Technology Policy
Please do not bring toys from home into the classrooms as they create an unnecessary distraction. Cell phones and mp3 players are not to be used during classes and will be taken by teachers should they become interruptive or distractive. When not in class or chapel, personal toys and technology may be used by students with parent permission.

The co-op provides indoor games and outdoor play equipment for use during lunch or free blocks, so you should not need to bring toys from home. If certain toys create problems among students, your child may be asked to put it away and not bring it back to co-op.

As for cell phones and iPods that can connect to the internet, we remind students of Psalm 101:2-3 "I will walk in integrity and with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no evil thing." Use discernment regarding what you look at and show to others, especially with many young students at co-op.

Teaching Perspective
All classes will be taught from a Biblical world view perspective. If a class involves creation, teachers will teach a young-earth, literal interpretation of the Genesis account in accordance with the guidelines of City Calvary Chapel. There is one race, and Critical Race Theory will not be taught in any SCHC class. The Apostle Paul tells us, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth.” (Acts 17:26).

SCHC classes will be taught from an understanding that gender is biological and is not fluid or something to be chosen. *God created man and woman; Genesis 5:2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created. Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on woman’s clothing.* Classes will also be taught that the only Biblical Marriage is between one man and one woman. Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Substitute Policy
If you have a situation where you won't be able to fulfill your responsibilities at co-op, please use the following guidelines for finding a substitute.
*Plan early.
*If you know of your absence find a substitute ASAP!
*If you are an assistant, contact the lead teacher for your class so they know of your absence. *Send out a new email thread to co-op members (preferably starting with parents of students in the class) with the subject line "substitute needed block ___". That way people who aren't available that time need not open it, but those who are free can read your email and see if they are able to help you.
*Last resort: If you are unable to find a substitute via email or word of mouth with friends, please contact your AGC ASAP. The responsibility falls on you to help find coverage during your absence.

Sick Policy
Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31). We don't want co-op to be a source of sickness for any family. If in doubt, check the below guidelines, stay home and plan on getting a substitute to fill in for you per the substitute policy, contact Mrs. Clean if you are scheduled to clean and lastly, call your AGC if you have any questions. 

We follow the health services guidelines recommended by the American Public Health Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. If you or your children have any the following, please do not come to co-op:

• Fever of 101 degrees or greater within 24 hours prior to co-op that needs medication to control 

• Vomiting or nausea within 48 hours prior to co-op

• Diarrhea within 24 hours prior to co-op

• Nasal congestion, or yellow or green nasal discharge

• Common cold with sore throat or persistent coughing or sneezing

• Streptococcal infection, until 48 hours after medication has been initiated Antibiotics for less than 48 hours

• Infected skin or eyes or undiagnosed rash (e.g. conjunctivitis, poison ivy, etc.), until the prescribed drops, cream or treatment are complete or incubation period recommended by doctor has passed

• Acting lethargic, listless, or irritable

• Any complaint of unexplained or undiagnosed pain (not including teething)

• Other contagious symptoms, including but not limited to lice, ringworm, etc.

 

SCHC Closure Policy
During inclement weather SCHC follows the Shoreline School District's weather closure policy. If Shoreline schools are closed, then SCHC will be closed. If the Shoreline School District is running on any kind of delay, please check your email for a notice from the Secretary on whether or not co-op will be running late or cancelled. We will also update the home page of www.seattlechristianhomeschool.org to let families know of any co-op changes for that day.

Of course your family's safety is our first priority. If SCHC is open but you believe it is unsafe to transport your children to co-op, please stay home and refer to the substitute policy for covering your volunteer responsibilities. Please contact your AGC if you plan on staying home, so we can account for your family and the needs of co-op that Friday.

Volunteer Responsibilities
Lead Teacher and Co-Teacher
Lead teachers are typically parents with children who are enrolled at the co-op, although we do occasionally hire outside teachers with special areas of expertise not found within the parent pool. Teacher contracts include an exhaustive list of lead teacher responsibilities, which include:
*Create an age-appropriate curriculum and submit it to the AGC (see page 2) and assistant teacher.
*Communicate the class syllabus to parents of your students and notify them of any major syllabus changes.
*Purchase class supplies.
*Come prepared for each class session.
*Begin each class session with prayer and the STARS verse of the month. (See pages3 for STARS overview.)
*Notify AGC and Assistant Teacher as soon as possible if you will be absent from class.
*Lead class in fire and earthquake drills as required by the co-op board.

Assistant Teacher
Assistant Teacher responsibilities include:
*Arrive early to set up class.
*Take class attendance and lead daily STARS program if the lead teacher requests that you do so.
*Help with discipline, help facilitate class projects, and accompany younger students on bathroom trips.
*Make sure the classroom is tidy and restored to its original order before dismissing students. Assist with fire and earthquake drills.

Cleaning
With well over 100 people using the church facility for over six hours every Friday, it is essential that everyone pitch in to keep the building clean out of respect for, and to maintain a positive relationship with, the church leadership and congregation. The fairest and easiest way to meet this need is to have each family serve about five to six weeks during the year to clean the building after co-op classes. Please note, if you are unable to finish the year for any reason, you will still be responsible for your cleaning days.

Each family's responsibility includes:
Fulfill your cleaning commitment as scheduled.
Check in with Mrs. Clean in the Fellowship Hall at 2:45pm.
Check out with Mrs. Clean after completing your cleaning assignment and before leaving co-op.

Annual Registration Fees
Families must submit non-refundable fees ($70 membership fee) before signing up for classes with Seattle Christian Homeschool Co-op.

Teachers' children will be given priority in their own classes, but the co-op cannot make accommodations beyond that, so families are encouraged to register early to reserve spots in desired classes.

Supplies
For most classes, families are required to purchase supplies for the class. Supply fees are to be paid each year during the registration period and again in September for any added or changed registrations (specific dates for both collections will be announced each year). If a family has a financial hardship, they can request scholarship funds or request to purchase their supplies in two installments. Supply costs for each class can be found in the class descriptions at www.seattlechristianhomeschool.org.

Failure to purchase supplies in a timely fashion will result in not being able to attend class and possibly losing your child's place in the class.

Scholarship Fund
Scholarship funds are available for families who, due to finances, cannot otherwise participate in the co-op. These funds may be used for the annual registration fee, as well as for class supplies. You may apply for scholarship money by contacting the Registrar

Everyone is encouraged to prayerfully consider making a donation to this fund.

Adding & Dropping Classes
In general, currently enrolled families may add classes until late September (see important dates for the current year). After that, the following criteria must be met.

* The student has a free block. Students aren’t permitted to switch classes mid-year.
* The class is designated as accepting new students during the year.
* Supplies fees must be paid within one week of adding the class.

Families are able to drop a class at any time during the year, but supplies are not returned. Whether you would like to add or drop a class, please fill out an Add/Drop form (available on the website or the information table) and give it to the Registrar.