GRACE Co-op Spring 2025 Term Dates & Deadlines
Co-op Planning and Registration: Our Planning and Registration is a 2-phase process that all attendees must participate in. The first phase (called Family Pre-registration below) is when we collect the list of classes that are going to be offered from you, the parent. The co-op coordinators will then assemble all classes into a schedule and post it online. In phase 2 (called Priority Registration and Registration for all students - below) the students are able to register for the classes they wish to attend. ONLY families who participated in Phase 1 (which is the building of our co-op schedule either by offering a class or qualifying for a teaching exemption) will be able to participate in Phase 2 -- student registration for classes.
Be thinking... about what class you want to teach. Remember, if you have participated in co-ops before, you will not be able to register your children for classes unless you have signed up to teach a class (unless you have a baby UNDER 1 years old or if this is your first term attending co-op.) Again this term, we are offering the Teacher Opt-Out Program that does come with a financial cost (see Fees and Costs), but will also exempt you from the teaching requirement. Our goal and passion is to get all co-op parents excited about sharing something they are already good at or interested in learning.
Note: If you don't have your infants on your member profile, then I don't know that you need special consideration for your helper assignments and nursery availability, please make sure your infants are registered in a class -nursery or attending with mom, you can always change it later, but they MUST be registered for one of these all 3 periods.
* For questions regarding membership, please contact Sarah Sheppard at 352-860-1636
*For questions regarding registration for classes, and anything pertaining to teaching or helping in a class, please call Becca White at 352-634-4195 or Donielle Wilburn at 352-697-5383.
*For questions regarding invoices and payments please call Melissa Wolchok at 352-302-0404 .
*For questions regarding the annual required volunteer duty or the planning of that event, please contact Shana Mahler at 407-803-3729.
Planning and Registration Schedule:
December 9th: Co-op Pre-Registration Opens—log into your account and click on the family pre-registration link under the GRACE Co-op tab. If you are exempt from teaching (new member, have a baby under 1) then click "exempt" on the registration form. As you know, if you are not exempt, you are required to teach a class in order for your children to participate in Co-op. To make sure everyone at co-op knows what is required of teachers, leaders and students, all co-op participants will have an online handbook they will need to view and certify they have read before submitting the Family Pre-registration form. If you are new and have questions about this, please don't hesitate to call or text Becca White at 352-634-4195 or Donielle Wilburn at 352-697-5383.
January 7th @ midnight: Family Pre-Registration Closes. If you are a returning member and miss this deadline, your participation cannot be guaranteed and you will have to pay the teacher opt out fee in order to attend the Spring 2025 term.
January 7th @ 6:00-8:00pm, Spring Co-op Kick Off Meeting @ Citrus Missionary Baptist Church in Inverness : We will be ramping up for our Spring 2025 term. This meeting is also for non-member homeschoolers to come learn about our group and get information on how to join.
January 8th-10th: Admin Work Days, co-op team will be reviewing the classes and special request that were submitted to make the schedule.
January 12th : Class schedule posted to teachers only for review. Teachers review schedule for mistakes and notify us if anything needs fixed.
January 13th: Class Schedule Posted. Parents, this is the time to start going over the classes with your children to see what they want to take this term!
January 14th @ 10am: Priority Registration opens for students of Leaders and Teachers.
January 16th @ 10am : Registration opens for all students (Non teachers and new members can now register their children for classes. New families must pay the CCCHG membership fee and sign all required documents (under your member profile) and sign up for an event to help with before being able to register their children for classes.
January 17th @ 11:55pm: Registration closes for all students.
January 20th @ 9pm: Rosters Finalized- Teachers will have an accurate count of students and be able to purchase class supplies/materials. Teachers: We typically have new members join our group after this date and we like to do our best to squeeze them into classes that are not at full capacity. After this date, I will contact you before adding more students to your roster to make sure you are able to purchase materials for them and are able to accept another student.
January 21st @ 9pm: Invoices sent by this date. We do not pay these fees online. You will receive an invoice via email with the total amount you owe and will need to pay in CASH. If you need a total earlier than this date, you simply go into your registrations and look at the class fees for the classes that you signed your children up for and add those together, plus add on to that total our $20 program fee. If you signed up for breakfast and coffee bar, don't forget to include those fees as well. These fees will be due at the close of our event on August 13th .
January 28th: Annual Winter War Games and all class fees due in cash. More details for WWG will be posted on the calendar soon, but this is one of our biggest events of the year and one that the children love and look forward to! Even if you do not sign up to participate in the event, you will still need to stop by the event that day and pay your class fees to avoid the late fee. If you do not pay them on this day, you will receive a late fee and be marked absent from an official co-op day that applies to our attendance policy. Participation in this event is not mandatory, just stopping in to pay your class fees is mandatory. Thank you for your understanding. Collecting these fees before the first day of co-op helps our first day run so much more smoothly.
January 27th: Helper Assignments Posted - Please reach out to the teacher you are helping (find contact info in member directory) and exchange email addresses and phone numbers to aid in communication throughout the term.
February 4th : First day of Spring 2025 co-op classes!! Mandatory Welcome Meeting for all students @ 9am in the sanctuary.
Schedule of Class Days: 12 Week Term
((Jan 28: Winter War Games Event at the pavilion- class fees due ))
*Feb 4, 11, 18, 25
*Mar 4, 11, 18, (25 spring break, same as public school)
*Apr 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Schedule of Class Times:
9:15 - 9:25 Assembly (Prayer and Pledge)
9:30 - 12:30 Classes
12:30 - 12:45 Pack up & exit building - all co-op attendees must be out of building by 12:45 so we can get the building put back together
12:45 - 3pm Lunch/playgroup at Pavilion
*** February 4th will be our first day of co-op. On the first day of co-op we start off with a mandatory meeting: (FIRST day only) 9am Mandatory Meeting for all students and adults. We will be welcoming the kids to another co-op term and going over classroom rules with them. We will also give all the kids a breakfast snack at the end of our first day meeting! As we've done the last few terms, there will be the meeting for adults on your free period to meet new members and go over rules and updates, this is mandatory.
Reminders:
- All families will have to complete the Family Pre-registration by the deadline posted above, either providing a class to add to the schedule, or qualifying for a teaching exemption by that date. Any families not pre-registering by that date will not be able to register for Co-op Classes.
2. This ship only sails with all hands on deck, and we need YOU! All parents (1 per family) will be required to teach a class and help in a class. New teachers can find another NEW TEACHER buddy to co-teach with for one class period if they don't want to teach alone, and then will be assigned as a helper for another class period by the co-op schedulers. The primary parent is entitled to have one class period free of official duty. We will be available by phone, email, or during the Kick Off Meeting to help new or unsure teachers find a good class to teach/co-teach, or help you brainstorm. Many of us "veterans" started with apprehension and no experience, and most of us quickly grew to love teaching, and dreaming of what we can teach next term!
3. Program fee (formerly referred to as the Facility Fee) for this term is a flat rate of $20.00 per family. (See Fees and Costs)
4. You are required to be a paid member of our homeschool group if you wish to attend co-op classes.
5. See GRACE Co-op Handbook for all details.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Becca White
GRACE Co-op Director, CCCHG President