1. Where to be:

As indicated in our lease, PHS has use of the following spaces:

• The back or south door to enter and exit the building.

• First-floor classrooms (114, 115, 116, 119 (storage), 121), lounge (120), restrooms (4), Fellowship Hall, and hallways.

• The picnic tables, parking lot, and the east, south, and west lawns.

• The Fellowship Hall lobby may be used for quiet studying or co-working only as voices carry upstairs.

• The Resource Room (118) may be used for studying or co-working provided an adult co-op member or instructor is also in the room at all times.

• Unscheduled classrooms may be used by those needing a quiet place to take a break from the hubbub of our classrooms and shared spaces provided the door remains open or an adult co-op member or instructor is also in the room at all times.

PHS may not use these spaces:

• The main or east door with the exception of instructors bringing supplies and equipment in and out of the Fellowship Hall or Kitchen (with students to assist as needed).

• The front or north door.

• The elevator except as needed as a disability entrance.

• The stairs leading to the second floor from the Fellowship Hall lobby.

• The stairs leading to the second floor from the south door entryway.

• Any part of the upper floor.

• The north lawn (along 33rd Avenue).

2. How to behave:

Treat each other, our community, and our space with respect.

Keep behavior, language, and conversation topics appropriate for a public place.

If your class ends early or you have an unscheduled class period, please be mindful of classes still in progress and keep hallway noise to a minimum.

3. Where to eat:

Food is allowed only in the Fellowship Hall, outdoors, or (when necessary) in the hallway outside the lounge at the Onsite Volunteer Station.

Spilled food must be cleaned up immediately.

4. Clean up after yourself and keep the spaces clean.

PHS is its own janitor. The church’s weekend events depend on us leaving the space as clean as we found it and putting furniture back in place. We will incur a fee if church staff need to clean up after us.

5. Pitch in.

Because students are at PHS every week while most Onsite Volunteers only assist with a few shifts per semester, our students are the experts on how our space needs to be set up and cleaned up.

Students are expected to take charge of morning setup, classroom transitions, setup for lunch, cleanup after lunch, and cleanup at the end of the day.

Setup: Students should plan to arrive 15 minutes before class time to help with the setup of classrooms and shared spaces.

Classroom Transitions: At the end of each class, please clean up spills, pick up trash, help rearrange tables and chairs as needed, and otherwise ensure the classroom is in good condition for the next class.

Lunch: Help prepare the Fellowship Hall for lunch by setting up tables and chairs from the storage room. Help clean up the Fellowship Hall after lunch by wiping down tables and chairs and returning them to the storage room and by cleaning up any food spills on the floor.

Cleanup: Students should plan to stay at least 15 minutes after class ends, or later on particularly messy days, to help with the cleanup of classrooms and shared spaces. No one should leave until Planet Homeschool is clean and returned to the church’s preferred layout. Students should consult their checklists and then check in with the Onsite Volunteers to see what still needs to be done in the common areas and other classrooms once their own classroom is complete. When everyone participates, cleanup can be completed in 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Be informed

Please familiarize yourself with membership policies at PHS by reviewing information on our website, including but not limited to:

1. Community Expectations

2. Volunteer Commitment Overview

3. COVID-19 Policies

4. Allergies and Sensitivities Policy

5. Inclement Weather Policy

6. Refund Policy

7. Tuition & Fees

8. About PHS

9. FAQ

The Leadership Team may choose to amend these policies for the well-being of the PHS community. Members will be informed of any policy revisions via our co-op forum and blog.

All members are also expected to:

1. Attend an Orientation Meeting each semester.

2. Keep up with co-op communications.

   Co-op communications are primarily posted to our co-op forums and are sent via email from lifeline@homeschool-life.com.

   Members and instructors should ensure their email provider recognizes that address as a legitimate sender. This can often be accomplished by adding the email address to your safe sender list, address book, and/or contacts but may require additional measures.

   Some co-op communications are sent from PlanetHomeschoolMN@gmail.com, so members and instructors should do the same for that address as well.

   Additionally, some emails will be sent from the personal email addresses of individual volunteers.

   Members and instructors are also encouraged to follow our co-op on Facebook , Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter.

7. Ask for help!

Let the Onsite Volunteers know if you need help with anything while you’re at PHS.

For Students

Please speak up if something bothers you or makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable at PHS.

Examples:

• “Your music is too loud for me. Would you please turn it down or use headphones?”

• “Please don’t tell jokes like that around me.”

• “Please take two steps back. I’m not comfortable having someone stand this close to me.”

If talking to the person doesn’t resolve the issue, or if you don’t feel safe addressing a problem directly, ask for help from a PHS adult (an Onsite Volunteer, an instructor, or any parent, guardian, or caregiver who is present).

If a community member speaks to you about modifying your behavior, do your best to respond courteously to the request, change your behavior as needed, or ask for help or clarification if you’re not sure what you’re being asked to do, if you are not able to do as asked, or are if you are uncomfortable with what has been requested.

For Onsite Volunteers

Student behavioral issues are rare at PHS, and most Onsite Volunteer shifts go smoothly and uneventfully.

Respond to problems and requests for help by:

1. Using short, simple statements about what change you are requesting and how a student’s behavior is affecting others. Examples:

   • “Please lower the voices or take your conversation outside as your voices can be heard in the classroom across the hall.”

   • “Please don’t tell jokes based on stereotypes here. They can make people feel unsafe and unwelcome.”

2. Asking everyone involved in a conflict these questions:

   • “What happened? or, “What’s happening?”

   • “What were you thinking about while this was happening?”

   • “What does everyone in this situation need right now?”

   • “What needs to happen so everyone’s needs and boundaries are respected?”

Onsite Volunteers should do their best to approach students with compassion, generosity, and kindness and with the understanding that students may not be able to answer these questions when they are stressed or upset and may need time and support to understand what’s being asked of them.

If need be, Onsite Volunteers may call students’ parents, guardians, or caregivers for help and guidance in addressing a situation. Contact information can be found in our Member Directory, a printed copy of which is kept in the Onsite Volunteer File Box.

You may also seek help from the other PHS adults present.

Please document any conflicts or behavior problems during your volunteer shift on the Onsite Volunteer Shift Log form, so that the Leadership Team can be aware of what happened and keep watch for patterns that need addressing. A Leadership Team member may follow up with Onsite Volunteers to see if further steps are needed.

For Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers

Families are central to helping students prevent conflict and navigate conflict resolution.

Families should:

• Keep in mind that all PHS volunteers are just other parents, guardians, and caregivers volunteering in this community to the best of their ability.

• Understand that no one at PHS has the role of a principal or school counselor, and Leadership Team members at PHS have limited power to solve problems that are best worked out by the people most directly involved.

• Be willing to contact other PHS members directly and participate in conversations with compassion, generosity, and respect.

• Remind your students that they are empowered to speak up in a respectful way and to set healthy boundaries.

• Remind students they are always welcome to ask the Onsite Volunteers and instructors for help.

• Ensure your students know the expectations for behavior, including treating other students, instructors, volunteers, and others respectfully.

• Ensure your students understand that they are responsible for setup, cleanup, and transitions for our classrooms and shared spaces.

• Ensure your students are aware that they should listen to and work with other students, instructors, Onsite Volunteers, and other adults.

• Coach your students with strategies for coping with challenges they might face at PHS and make sure they understand what’s expected of them in a group learning environment.

• Consider whether your students can resolve particular issues on their own or if they need help from you.

• If your student is facing challenges (such as sensory issues, impulse control issues, anxiety, auditory processing, or difficulties reading social cues), contact your student’s instructors before the first day of class to let them know the best ways of working with your student while at PHS.

  • It is also helpful to let Leadership Team know what your student needs. At the same time, please keep in mind that PHS is a co-op, not a school, and that there are no professional support staff.

• Commit to following through on the conflict resolution process with your student, pulling in others when necessary, until resolution is achieved.

• Remain at PHS with your student while a conflict is being resolved or if the Leadership Team or instructors request it.

For Instructors

Individual instructors may set additional policies regarding classroom behavior and for the removal of students from their classes for cause.

Restorative Circle Process

When additional help is needed to find ways to address a problem in a mutually acceptable manner, directly involved families and instructors may be invited to participate in a restorative circle facilitated by a trained volunteer. Families may ask to invite a small number of other community members to the circle to provide other perspectives and share fresh ideas for coming to a mutually acceptable resolution.

This process is designed to bring healing and understanding, empowering everyone involved to develop a mutually acceptable strategy to address the particular situation and any underlying problems that may have led to the conflict. In reaching these goals, the circle process builds on the values of respect, honesty, listening, truth, and sharing. Everyone present will have a voice in the process, speaking as a talking piece is passed around the circle.