FAQs
Q: |
What is a cooperative? |
A: |
A homeschool co-op, or cooperative, is a group in which every member family participates to achieve common goals. Those goals are organzied around a combination of both the academic and social nature for homeschoolers. At GVHSA, members volunteer in some or all of the following areas: teaching a class(es) to the students, setting up/break-down of the facility, cleaning the facility, planning social events or field trips, or coordinating yearly testing, just to name a few. At co-op we count on all of our members to contribute their time, energy and talents by helping implement our programs, events and activities. The Co-op has a leadership team which oversees the ministry and offer help and support where needed. |
Q: |
How old must my child be to attend co-op? |
A: |
Co-op classes are designed for school-aged children in grades Kindergarten-12th grade. Younger siblings are also welcome to attend co-op. We do not accept members that only have preschoolers. |
Q: |
When does co-op classes take place? |
A: |
Co-op classes are held every Tuesday, minus holidays and spring break. Class times will vary depending on the selection of classes that you choose for your family. |
Q: |
How are classes chosen for co-op? |
A: |
Our teachers are precious volunteers, therefore they get to choose the class they would like to teach. Generally, classes that parents teach is a subject that they plan to teach at home during the school year or a subject they have always wanted to teach but never got around to it. The co-op leadership team will offer help and suggestions as needed and will ensure that we have a diversity of classes. |
Q: |
How does the co-op class day operate? |
A: |
Each morning, we will begin with prayer for the day's events at 8:45 am. Most of the classes are taught by parents with a few being offered by community volunteers or outside teachers that the committee brings in. At noon, we gather for announcements and lunch, thereafter. We have two semesters: one in the fall and one in the spring. Classes are 50-minutes each unless annotated differently for a particular class. Classes are a variety of subjects both academic and extra-curricular. You as a family, choose the classes that you desire for your child to take on class registration day. You may choose as many or as little as you like, one class per kid, each hour.
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Q: |
Who can teach a co-op class? |
A: |
Teachers primarily consist of other like-minded homeschool parents who are members of GVHSA. We also recruit teachers from outside of the community that have been approved by the leadership team to provide their services. All of our teachers are required to read, sign, and agree to adhere to our Statement of Faith. |
Q: |
Are parents required to teach at Co-op? |
A: |
No, but they are required to be there each week, stay on site and are required to volunteer by teaching, assisting, or cleaning for at least one hour. |
Q: |
Can I drop off my child? Can my child attend on their own? |
A: |
Parents are expected to remain on the premises for the entire duration that your child is participating in co-op classes. For any exceptions to this expectation, please chat with a member of GVHSA's Board. Each student must have a designated adult who is responsible for them during the time of CoOp each week. |
Q: |
Can I still join if I know that I won’t be able to attend all of the semester dates? |
A: |
We depend on everyone attending each week in order for the cooperative to function. However, we do know that some events are unforeseen. In the event that you are unable to attend, you are responsible, as a teacher or teacher's assistant, for finding a replacement on the day that you will be absent to cover your spot. As a teacher, we suggest that you first reach out to your teacher's assistant, and then locate an assistant to replace your assistant's spot. As an assistant, we suggest that you use the website forum or Facebook page to seek coverage from another member. |
Q: |
Am I required to sign a statement of Faith? |
A: |
Yes. Every member must sign GVHSA's statement of faith. While we are aware that everyone may not hold these beliefs, you are simply acknowledging you understand that all GVHSA events are governed by these guidelines. |
Q: |
What is covered in the co-op membership fee? |
A: |
There are two types of membership offered by the association:
The main difference between the limited and full membership is the opportunity to participate in Co-op classes (including archery). The classes provide great support to families in their academic instruction. It helps alleviate the burden of having to teach multiple subjects while utilizing other parents willing to teach a particular subject in a group setting. There may be additional fees depending on class requirements as determined by the teacher/parent volunteer. |
Q: |
Are our teachers paid? |
A: |
There may be a fee for outside professional teachers who the leadership team invites to offer their services. Our parent-teachers and our co-op leadership team are all volunteers that enjoy being able to serve our families and provide this blessed opportunity to our children. Note, however, there may be a class fee, which varies, associated with the classes that you sign your child(ren) up to participate in. |