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Yes, we are a registered non-profit organization, this means we can accept donations and they are tax deductible for donors, here you can find our charity standing with the SC Secretary Of State.

Q:

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-No, we are a support group not a 3rd option accountability group, if your're looking for a 3rd option accountability group, we recommend SC-TOP or any other registered accountability group that you can find here, additionally if you're searching for other options for homeschooling legally you can learn more here. There is optin 1- homeschooling under the auspices of the public school district, and option 2 - SCHAIS here!

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Yes, we strive to welcome and include everyone. We do not enforce any specific approach/agenda.

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HERO functions as a co-op all year round! We have two 6-month semesters, one from August to February and the other from February to August. Even though our classes are offered from September through November and then from February through April, we have programming and events that carry on through the other months. We are really a support group for homeschool families and provide so much more than just our amazing and diverse class offerings.

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Absolutely! We would love to show you our space and introduce you to our community. Send us an email at heroofirmo@gmail.com and we can set that up.

Q:

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No, we are not a drop-off program. We expect all parents to remain on site, in the building, while their children are here. Parents are expected to manage their own children's behavior and to be available if needed. Parents are also welcome to stay in classes with their kids. We do offer drop-off, for a fee, for some of our events.

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In general we typically divide our classes into the following age groups, but parents are not required to stick to it strictly. They can use their judgement to decide if their child would fit better in an adjacent age group (for example a 6th grader taking classes for grades 3-5 or an 8th grader taking High School classes). In this case it is best to check with the teacher listed with the class.

Nursery classroom: ages 0-3

Preschool classroom: ages 4-5

Lower Elementary: grades Kindergarten - 2

Upper Elementary: grades 3-5

Middle School: grades 6-8

High School: grades 9-12

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Yes we do! Several of our High School classes can count toward the requirements for credit. For more details email heroofirmo@gmail.com. 

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We do! We have a wonderful preschool and kindergarten program. The preschool classroom is geared for ages 0-3 and the kindergarten/first grade classroom is geared for ages 4-6.

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We offer field trips, special events, clubs, and meet-ups. We have a student expo at the end of each semester including a drama production, art show, science fair, music recitals, dance recital, and more. We have yard sales, a family spaghetti dinner, snowball dance, and the list goes on!

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We have a wonderful outdoor learning area including mud kitchens, sensory bins, garden beds, trail, and outdoor classrooms. Students ages 0-7 especially use this space for several of their classes. 

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Yes, all members volunteer in some capacity. We are 100% volunteer-run and depend on everyone pitching in. There are many ways to do that.

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We do not require all parents to teach. However, we depend on many parents to do so because we don't hire teachers. Many parents end up teaching the bulk of the classes so we encourage all parents to consider teaching to help share the load. We love it when parents teach based on their experience, job, knowledge, passions, etc. 

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We do not have any requirements regarding potty training or reading level. Parents are expected to be present with their children to attend to their needs. And as homeschoolers we understand that learning is on a spectrum and each child progresses at their own pace. Teachers do their best to make classes adaptable and accommodating to various reading and learning levels, within a specific age range. 

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We understand that life can be unexpected and changes or challenges might arise that lead families to leave HERO earlier than they had planned. Legally we don't have a way to make members fulfill the written agreement we have them sign at the begininning of the semester, but it's important for them to understand it and that we take it seriously. We keep classes costing as little as we can by spreading the cost of classes out over a 6 month term. We have two terms: August through January and February through July. As a reminder we are a year-round co-op and need to be so that we can pay the necessary bills of renting our own building. When members begin a 6 month term with us it is with the understanding that they will continue to pay the membership fees for the duration of the 6 months, even if they leave before the 6 months ends. This is especially true when they have been taking classes with us. For more questions about this email heroofirmo@gmail.com.

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It costs $55 per child per month to be a member of HERO. There is a family cap of $165 per month to better accommodate larger families. Our membership is billed monthly all year round. The expectation is that members will commit to paying for a 6 month term with the understanding that the cost of classes is spread out over the 6 month period.

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That is totally fine! Members can decide how little or how much to attend of our classes, events, and activities. But the monthly price stays the same at $55 per child (family max of $165). Just be sure to only register for the things you plan to attend, and let us know when you can't attend them. 

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We offer classes for children from preschool all the way through High School. We aim to offer at least 2 options for each hour that we have classes, for each age group. Class registration is available on a first come, first serve basis, and teachers are allowed to register first. We can't ever guarantee a slot in any specific class, so for this reason it would behoove parents to teach!

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While many of our classes are offered consistently every semester, like our music classes and Lego Challenge, most classes change each semester. This is because the parents choose what to teach each semester and they generally seem to enjoy changing things up for variety and keeping things interesting. 

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When you join HERO you will create an account on our website. You will receive invoices for your monthly fees in your account and will be responsible for logging in at the beginning of each month to manually pay your fee. At this time the website does not offer automatic payments. The monthly fees are due at the beginning of each month for that month.