FAQs

What Makes Finger Lakes Homeschool a CoOp?

We are a dedicated group of families who co-labor to provide a safe place for home-school families to learn, grow and make friends. Our co-op can only be successful when each family makes a significant contribution of time, energy, and skills. For this reason, we have specific expectations regarding families’ commitments. Opportunities include teaching/aiding, subbing, cleaning and more. Our families come together as a community to create a supportive environment for all to thrive.

Are you a school? What Curriculum do you use?

No, we are not a school. We believe parents are the primary educators for their children and provide supplemental classes for homeschool families. Although we do offer both academic and elective classes, our classes are not meant to be a complete curriculum. Some courses may offer suggestions or have requirements for outside of class time, while others may not. Curricula used varies and is up to the teacher. Some of our classes will be extended to be offered throughout the year, while some are just a 10 week session.

Why would I want to join a CoOp?

A homeschool co-op provides parents and students with friendship, a support system, social activities and educational opportunities. Some families come mainly for academic classes while others come for electives. Support and fellowship for parents of any level of homeschooling experience is available.

Q:	When and where does the co-op meet?
A:	We will meet for student classes on Mondays from 9:45am-2:00pm in downtown Ithaca at Tabernacle Baptist Church 1019 North Cayuga St. Meetings will be available at a separate time to support parents in their homeschooling journey. Field trips and additional enriching experiences will be available throughout the year.

What will a typical Monday of CoOp look like?

Our Fall 2022 CoOp session goes from September 12 to December 12 every Monday. You are not required to participate in the entire day of CoOp. We made this a special rule especially for the families with kids who are still napping and need to get home after lunch. We hope that even if you aren't sticking around for period 3 and 4, that you will consider staying for lunch. Lunch is a fun and important time of social development and belonging. It's a great place for kids to get to know their classmates even more and parents to get to know each other too! Here is an overview of a daily CoOp schedule:

9:45-10:30 Older student science and younger student chorus class
10:15 Arrival and before school social time. Teachers should get their classrooms setup and supplies all ready. Students should put their lunches in the fridge or cafeteria area.
10:30-11:15 Period 1
11:15-12:00 Period 2
12:00-12:30 Lunch and social time. We will celebrate birthdays and make any announcements

12:30-1:15 Period 3
1:15-2:00 Period 4
2:00-3:00 Afterschool activities and clean-up crew gets to work

What courses will be offered?

Course offerings include core subject areas (science, history, early literacy, literature, PE, music, art ) as well as interest areas (survival skills, French, running, martial arts, board games). Study hall is available for older students who would like a break in the day to complete school work with peers. Click on the Class Registration tab to see the current session’s offerings. Some classes are year round while others are for a single session. More information about each class is available to registered members of the coop.

Q:	What ages and grades will the co-op offer classes for?
A:	Classes are offered for students in Prek-Grade 12. There is also a nursery for the littlest learners under the age of 3.

Is this a drop off? Do we HAVE to attend classes?

We are NOT a drop-off program, the adult must remain on the premises. We are a co-op, which means we co-labor with each other and God to achieve creative excellence by serving each other through our strengths. We require all members to serve as part of the co-op in a capacity of 50-75% of the time your children are in the building. Different opportunities are available to volunteer such as teaching, being a TA, substitute, cleaning, etc. Courses will vary throughout the year based on the teachers that God allows us to have. Please consider whether you might be able to teach, and contact us for a Class Proposal Form! Parents/Guardians are not required to attend classes with their children!

How much does participation cost?

The cost for the program is $100 per year per family and includes:

Membership to our faith-based homeschool support group
Access to members only sections of the website and a private facebook group
Building donation and cleaning fees for co-op classes
This does not include class supply lists or teacher supply costs, but we are hopeful that those will be minimal!
If you are currently a member of another Homeschool NY group, please ask about a dual membership discount
If you do not intend to have your family attend CoOp classes, a discounted rate will be offered this year only.
Additional activities such as field trips are not included and may incur additional costs

Do I need to be Christian to join? Are your classes taught with a Christian focus?

No, families are not required to attend a church or be Christian believers. However, we are a faith-based organization so ask that all participants is aware there is a Statement of Faith from our covering organization. You will also need to be comfortable with Christian practices such as public prayer, but everyone is welcome to join! Our teachers agree to present materials in accordance with the Statement of Faith. Classes that incorporate prayer, scripture or Christian theology in their curriculum disclose this in their class descriptions. We welcome everyone to participate regardless of faith practices at home.

I'm ready to join! What do I do next?

1) On this website go to the top right and click "Join". If you are on your phone it will be a person with a "+" next to it.

2) Once you click on Join, you will need to fill out the registration form. Please include everyone in your family that will be in attendance on Mondays, even babies.

3) You will then be sent to paypal to pay the $100 balance for the yearly family fee.

4) Once you have signed your family up and pay your yearly fee you are all set to login to your FLH Family account and begin registered your child(ren) for classes, an adult for volunteer placement, and for any events you want to attend.

5) If you want to teach a class, email us with class details and/or request new class on the website. We will be in touch with you shortly to go over details.