Grace Enrichment Homeschool Coop Handbook
Grace Enrichment Homeschool Coop Handbook
www.gecohomeschool.com
Welcome to GECO
Grace Enrichment Coop is a nonprofit organization run solely by volunteers. We rely on God's guidance and the hard work of our cooperative members to offer families academic and enrichment
classes and events. GECO works because of the families who work hard to make it a success.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of Grace Enrichment Coop is to provide help and assistance to home schooled families with 7th to 12th grade students through courses with high academic standards at a reasonable cost
through cooperative efforts in a Christian atmosphere.
G—Grace. Grace is God's unmerited favor. That is, grace is God doing good for us that we do not deserve. It is by God's grace that we come together to offer our children learning experiences that they may not have the opportunity to otherwise enjoy. God has blessed Grace Enrichment Coop with caring families that use their time and wisdom to enrich our students’ education.
E—Enrichment . Our classes are designed to enrich your student by offering courses and new perspectives in a Christian atmosphere. Our teachers pass along knowledge that they believe will expand the students
C—Cooperative . Our successful strategy provides an opportunity for children to learn from other parents who are more specialized in certain areas or subjects, and marked by willingness of its members to cooperate for the benefit of the group.
O—Our . We are at all times responsible for our own children's education. While we are privileged to have GECO and all its wonderful teachers and parents, the task of educating our children and keeping records is in our hands. Remember, this is for the enrichment of your child—it is your
choice how you use the classes at GECO to fill in your own educational program at home.
Membership
Any adult person shall be eligible for membership in GECO if they are homeschooling at least one
7th12th grade student.
Membership in GECO shall become effective upon completion of the registration form for GECO classes, signing agreement with the organization's statement of purpose, and paying biannual dues set by the board and any class fees required for the classes selected on or before the first day of
classes for that semester.
Teaching and service commitments are required of all members. Nonmember participation does not require a teaching or service commitment.
The Curriculum Coordinator will meet with you over the phone or in person and discuss options to fulfill your teaching and service commitments from the available positions. Remember, if you want to teach a specific class, time, or service commitment, you must contact the Curriculum Coordinator as soon as possible—all positions are available on a 'first come, first served' basis. Once a position is filled you will have to choose another position or time to fulfill your commitment.
Registration Fees
Registration fees are set annually by the board for members and $100.00 for nonmembers due in
August and in January at the beginning of each semester. We have a payment plan available if needed, with a minimum of $25.00 due upon registration. Please contact the treasurer to make
payment arrangements that fit your financial needs.
All dues and lab fees are nonrefundable. Class fees are refundable with 14 days of the beginning of classes for that semester after formal notification to the Treasure of intent to withdraw from GECO
classes.
Fundraising
Unfortunately, GECO takes money to run. We have to have funds to pay our rental fee to Providence
Presbyterian Church and the insurance we have to carry to meet the church's requirements. We have to have money to buy supplies such as toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, etc. We also need funds to pay for the upkeep on the copier, paper, and all the supplies to keep GECO running smoothly.
We don't like to burden our members with huge registration fees, so we may hold when necessary at least one fundraiser per semester to help us cover operating expenses. Fundraisers are mandatory for
GECO members.
If you don't want to participate in the fundraisers, you can pay $50 extra each semester. Non coop members are exempt from fundraising activities, but may participate if they wish to. Some of the fundraisers we have used in the past have been
● Calendar sales
● Spring Garage Sale
● Fall Festival
● Silent Auction
As you can see, we don't expect much, but these functions are vital to the survival of Grace
Enrichment Coop. Without your cooperation we may have to raise registration fees and membership obligations to keep GECO running the way we all expect.
Non Coop Participation
Non coop positions will be available to the parents of 7th12th grade homeschooled students by paying the full amount of biannual dues and class fees that are assigned for non coop participation.
The amount of the fees are $25.00 per credit hour, per semester for regular classes, and $50.00 per credit hour, per semester for mathematics and science classes.
Nonmembers are also responsible for the individual class fee and lab fees that may be assigned for any particular class. Full payment of the fees is required prior to the first day of classes for that semester.
Non coop families do not have to perform a service or teaching commitment and do not have to participate in fundraising activities unless they wish to. Non coop members are not allowed to vote
on coop business matters.
Please note, because GECO relies on members to teach classes and help it run smoothly, non coop positions are limited and also available on a 'first come, first served" basis. Returning non coop students are given precedent over new applicants as space is limited.
GECO Member Responsibilities
All members must abide by and enforce any rules set for our group by the board or the Church.
GECO operates as a community where parents can be supported in what they are teaching at home and where children can socialize with other Christian children in a safe environment. It is all our responsibility to encourage others to love and uphold the guidelines set forth in this handbook.
Teachers and Teachers Assistants should handle discipline in their classroom correcting in love.
Parents should handle issues they see or hear in the hallway or lunchroom, etc., by bringing the problem to the attention of the Administrator.
● Parental participation is mandatory and you must abide by the attendance guidelines. Non
Coop members are exempt from this requirement.
● Retain full responsibility for the education of your children.
● All registered members must fulfill their assigned jobs or lose their good standing. It is imperative that you be on time for your jobs. We depend on one another for a successful year.
● Do not let any family member attend GECO if they are during the contagious stage of an illness or have:
▪ Nasal discharge
▪ Communicable disease
▪ Fever that needs medication to control; the child must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to GECO.
▪ Head lice, Chicken Pox, Ringworm, etc.
▪ Please parents, if you child has had the 'stomach bug' or vomited in the past 24 hours do not bring them to GECO.
Code of Conduct for GECO and Providence Church
• We are guests of Providence Presbyterian Church. This is a House of God. Behave accordingly.
Remember, GECO is a privilege not a right. With all privileges come responsibilities. You will
behave in a responsible and respectful manner at all times during GECO hours.
• Church telephones are strictly off limits to GECO. If a student needs a telephone for emergency purposes, locate the hall monitor on duty.
• Students may not write on or in any way deface furniture, walls, bulletin boards, or any property that does not belong to them.
• Lunch will be eaten in Fellowship Hall only. These area must be left clean after the lunch period.
• Food and soft drinks are not allowed in the hallway at ANY TIME .
• Food and soft drinks are not allowed in classrooms at any time unless approved by the teacher.
Water is allowed in classes at any time, and is available for sale in the Fellowship Hall
• The playground equipment is only for elementary aged children and younger, all children must be accompanied by an adult when using this area. Younger children have priority in this area.
• Students are not allowed to gather or loiter in the parking lot at any time.
• Drugs or alcohol are not allowed on Providence Presbyterian Church property at any time.
Anyone in possession of these items or under the influence of these items will be removed from the
property and will not be allowed to return.
• Weapons of any sort are not allowed on Providence Presbyterian Church property at any time.
GECO Student Responsibilities
To maximize the benefit of the classes for all students, we ask that your student abide by the following classroom behaviors:
• Participation— Do what the teacher has asked
• Listen carefully to instructions
• Do not talk when someone else is talking
• Raise your hand if you want to speak
• Sit unless instructed otherwise
• Ask permission before using the restroom
Parents please read this information with your students and make sure they understand and agree to
abide by the following rules.
• Students must be punctual and prepared for each class they are signed up to attend and remain in the class until the class ends.
• Students will participate willingly in class. Anyone disrupting class will be removed and their
parent will be notified.
• Students are required to bring completed homework assignments on assigned due date. Show respect for all adults and peers. Address adults with respect (Mr. Mrs. Miss.) Do not leave the
classroom without the teacher's permission.
• Students may not leave the campus without parental permission.
• Inappropriate conversation, gestures, or aggressive physical contact will not be permitted. Such actions may cause a student to be expelled from GECO. All students not in a specific class must be in
study hall. Study Hall is for working or reading independently and quietly; it is not a 'social hour.'
• Students may not have two consecutive hours without having a class. If you have two free hours you must make arrangements for your parents to pick you up and bring you back to GECO when it is
time for your next class, OR sign up for another class.
• Students may not gather in the parking lot. If you are through with your classes, please leave
GECO. Parents, please be prompt in picking up your students from classes.
• If you are waiting for a parent to pick you up, please wait in the foyer and not outside. Students
are not allowed to loiter in the parking lot.
• Food and drink (except water) are not allowed in the classroom unless provided by the teacher.
• Do not bring any electronic devices to GECO. You may bring cell phones but they may not be brought out or played with during class time. (NO TEXTING DURING CLASS!) If you bring such
a device to GECO your teacher may take the item from you until the end of the school day.
• If you drop trash on the floor, please pick it up. (This includes the hallway.)
• GECO is not responsible for items that are lost or left behind after class.
We want to see an attitude of cooperation. If your child doesn't want to cooperate in Grace
Enrichment Classes, then we don't want him/her to attend. To keep classes running smoothly and make sure that the majority of the students are benefited, we will need to ask students who do not obey the rules to no longer attend. We will talk to the parent and give an initial warning before
expulsion.
Students must contact their teachers if they are going to be absent. If you plan on being absent in advance for any reason, you may contact your teacher and get any work they may have
ready for the 'missed' class so that you do not fall behind in your work.
Classes may be cancelled at any time at the GECO board’s decision. In the event of a cancelled class, the students will be placed in study hall.
Dress Code
GECO participant's dress should be modest and appropriate at all times. This includes students and adults.
• Sleeveless tops must be at least 4in wide. No bare midriffs (even while bending or s
stretching—this means no hip or tummy skin visible at any time.),
• No sheer materials,
• No tight shirts or excessively tight shorts or pants.
• Skirts and shorts must be finger length.
• No hats of any form in the building unless the school is hosting a special 'Hat Day' event.
• No statement on any clothing that is vulgar, rude or appears to dishonor God or the
Christian faith.
In the event that the dress code is not followed, the student will be required to wear a Tshirt provided by GECO or must leave GECO premise and change into appropriate clothing before returning to GECO.
Electronic devices are not to be used during class time in any room.
Cell phones are not to be brought out during class time. If your student requires an electronic device to accomplish their school work, the parent may make arrangements with the board and request
special approval for their use.
Electronics will be taken away for the day if used improperly and returned to the parent or student at the end of the day. This will always be done after discussion with the student and through the attending parent so as to preserve all dignity and respect. The only exception to this is that any teacher is asked to take any electronic items that are being used during class and bring it to the
parent. In any disputes about the dress code a board member will have the final say.
Class Information
The teaching coop is designed to allow parents to supplement their children's education. It is not intended to replace parents' homeschooling responsibilities.
GECO does not employ teachers. Families who have students in a class are required to participate in making GECO work by agreeing to fulfill a teaching position and a service commitment. Material fees are determined by the teacher and are included in the class list. Classes larger than 10 high
school age or 6 elementary age children must have a teaching assistant during the class period.
Even though we do our best to check on content of the classes offered, no member of GECO homeschool coop or Providence Presbyterian Church is responsible for content taught. We reserve
the right to cancel or substitute anything in order to better your students’ education experience.
Class Schedule
GECO classes are held on Monday and Thursday. Monday classes are generally courses which require more than one teaching period a week such as math, foreign language, etc.
Monday hours
10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. There is no lunch period scheduled for Monday.
Thursday hours
10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Lunch period is from 11:55 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. The GECO board reserves the right to change the schedule at any time if needed.
Lunch
The lunch period starts at I 1:55 a.m. and ends at 12:45 p.m. Lunch must be eaten in the Fellowship
Hall.
GECO does not provide food or drinks for the lunch hour; you are responsible for providing your own food and drink.
Students and parents are responsible for their own clean up, and making sure the lunch room is kept tidy.
Students must return promptly for class time if they are leaving the building for lunch.
Students are not allowed in classrooms or outside during the lunch period (except for the lunchroom) unless there is a responsible adult present.
Communication
GECO’s primary form of communication is through email, this includes special announcements, newsletters, and important information from GECO members. Please contact the GECO secretary promptly if you have a change in your email address or get an email address so that you can be added to the mailing list.
We ask that you check your email for any new announcements prior to leaving for any GECO event
(including class days) in case of last minute changes or announcements. Cancellations of GECO functions, including school days, classes, and extracurricular activities such as picnics and parties will be announced through email so BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR EMAIL BEFORE YOU
LEAVING FOR A GECO FUNCTION.
If you wish to send something out to the GECO group, please contact the email coordinator listed on your membership roster and forward the information on to them through their email address.
Members who do not have access to email will be contacted by the phone by one of the board
members only for important announcements.
Guidelines for GECO Positions
GECO is a memberdriven cooperative. All members must have one teaching commitment and two service commitments (or approved combination of service and teaching commitments.) The guidelines for teaching and service commitments follow. Please remember that these are general guidelines and you may be called upon for duties that may not be stated in this manual. All positions must be approved by the Curriculum Committee president
Math Grader —Responsible for grading the math papers from the math classes that GECO offers.
You will be supplied with the solutions manual for the math class you are grading. Math graders are expected to have the work completed by the next class meeting, so if you collect the work on
Monday it must be graded by Thursday. If you collect the work on Thursday it must be graded by
Monday.
Curriculum member
Attends at least two out of three curriculum committee meetings and helps plan out the class schedule for the GECO school year. Please notethis is a summer position as the curriculum committee meets through the summer to ready GECO for fall registration. You will also be called
upon to be available to assist with registration twice yearly.
Lunch Monitor —Monitors the lunch period, gets the microwave set up and ready for use, wipes down the tables and microwave after lunch and empties the trash can in the lunchroom if it is full.
During the lunch period the monitor also reminds students to behave as young Christian men and women when needed.
Substitute Teacher —The Substitute Teacher is required to fill in for any GECO teacher that will be absent from class. As a Substitute Teacher, you may not be needed for weeks at a time, but you may also be required to fill in for several teachers in one day. You must be available to fill in for a teacher at very short notice, so we ask that you keep Thursdays clear of activities and be available to be called to GECO at any time during the school day.
Thursday or Monday Cleaning —Responsible for cleaning GECO before everyone leaves on
Monday and Thursday. This includes emptying trashcans in all rooms, making sure chalkboards are cleaned of GECO items, vacuuming if needed, wiping down tables in rooms with disinfectant wipes, cleaning the bathroom sinks and toilets, and putting up GECO soap, paper towels, and toilet paper.
(These must be replaced with the church's soap, paper towels, and toilet paper.) Trash must be taken
to the dumpster in the alley.
A complete checklist of what the Thursday cleaning checklist includes please contact the curriculum committee president.
●
Important Note ; Cleaning is a vital part of Grace Enrichment Coop. Every room is expected to be cleaned at the end of the each day. This includes the bathrooms, halls, and floors. We are responsible for cleaning the lunchroom after eating. Since cleaning is an important part of the use of the facilities, we ask that everyone help in the cleaning as much as possible. We have cleaning coordinators who will be assigning you to specific cleanup crews. If you see something that needs to be straightened up, cleaned up, or picked up, don't wait for someone else to do it. Train your children to do the same and we will all finish the job sooner.
Party Committee —Responsible for planning GECO functions at the request of the GECO board, making sure all paper goods that are needed for the function are brought to the party. Plans theme and activities for parties, and organizes the clean up after the party. A minimum of two parties per
year must be planned, including the ice cream social held for the General Meeting at the end of April.
Fundraising —May be called upon to make calls instructing GECO members what is required of
them for an upcoming fundraising event. May be needed to help collect money from members after the fundraiser, and may be called upon to deliver fundraising items to each GECO family.
Website Coordinator Responsible for posting current GECO events and will need to monitor site content and ensure information displayed on the website is accurate.
Teachers' Procedures
Please take note of our statement of purpose. While it is not necessary to hold to this statement personally, we ask that no teaching be given to the students that is any way contrary to this.
Since our classes are academic in nature, and since we have people from many different Christian denominations, we would like to limit any classtime doctrinal discussions outside of the basics listed in the statement of purpose. Basically, stick to your topic and choose your words carefully.
• A lesson plan for one week in advance is required for GECO classes. What we expect in the lesson plan is enough detail so that an assistant teacher could look at the plan and take over the class for the day, doing a tolerable job, without having time to prepare.
• Teachers may use a curriculum of their choice, or one that GECO has available. Curriculums are to be approved by the board prior to the beginning of classes.
• Teachers should, to the best of their abilities, give at least one month's notice if they will no longer be available to teach their class.
• Please follow copyright laws and get permission before copying anything copyrighted.
• Teachers are expected to be in their class on time; students and parents are depending on you to set the example.
• Parents will be paying class fees directly to the individual teachers. It is the duty of the teachers to keep all their receipts for the materials purchased for the class including copying charges.
• Storage for GECO supplies is located in front supply room.
• Please keep all students in the classrooms for the entire class time. The bell rings 5 minutes before the end of class and then again at the time when the class ends; your students should be in class until that first bell sounds.
• Use the last few minutes of the class time to straighten up, push in chairs, and erase and clean the whiteboards. Prepare classrooms for cleaning crews at the end of the day by picking up any stray papers, etc.
• Parents will be paying class fees directly to the individual teachers. It is the duty of the teachers to keep all their receipts for the materials purchased for the class including copying charges.
Attendance
You are responsible for contacting the correct person in the event that you will be absent. Teachers must contact the teachers' coordinator to let them know of their absence as early as possible so that all arrangements can be reported to the coordinator.
Teachers must contact either their teaching assistant or Teacher’s Coordinator in ample time to alert the substitute teacher to prepare to take over the class. Please try to contact your replacement at least
12 hours in advance of your class so that you can go over the lesson plan and make arrangements for the class. We understand that emergencies do come up – GECO does not consider sickness an emergency situation. In most cases you KNOW you are sick before it is time for your class; therefore have time to contact the Teacher’s Coordinator in time to have a substitute teacher available
for your class.
Teacher’s Assistant Procedure
First and foremost check with teacher for her requirements of your position and here are some possible suggestions;
• Look for ways to help the teacher, help setup/cleanup
• Keep an eye on the students—see who needs a reminder of proper classroom behavior.
• Do not interrupt the teacher when enforcing discipline you can whisper in the ear of the student who is having a problem.
• Please do not use class time as visiting time with the other mothers.
• Feel free to enter into class discussions when there is a lack of discussion from the students, but please reserve any disagreements with the teacher until private time after class.
• Initiate clean up the last few minutes of class, watch the clock.
GECO Board Member Responsibilities
Board members are voted in by GECO families. They are an important part of our ‘community’ because they represent the voice of the members in matters that affect GECO. This is an important
commitment, and board members should treat it with the same respect that GECO families have given them by voting them in.
● Board members meet once a month at the discretion of the current board to discuss matters that effect GECO. These meetings carry on through the summer months when the rest of
GECO is on vacation, so if you are not willing to participate please do not accept the nomination for a board position.
● Please be prompt to meetings. The date and time of the next board meeting will always be announced at the end of the board meetingyou will also receive an email to remind you of the meeting a few days before the actual date.
● Your attendance is required, if you cannot fulfill your commitment to the GECO families by attending these meetings please do not run for the board.
● Unless otherwise noted, all matters discussed in board meetings are strictly confidential.
Board members who discuss sensitive or private matters with people outside of the board will be removed from their board position.
● Board members are expected to attend GECO functions. Since we only have a few functions per year we feel it is important that board members attend as representatives of Grace
Enrichment Coop.
Board President
● Elected by the GECO board members, at the first general meeting after the board election
(usually on the last day of GECO in May).
● The president of the board is responsible for running the meeting according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
Board VicePresident
● The person with the second highest number of votes for the office of president is appointed vice president.
● Is responsible for carrying on board meetings in the absence of the president.
Board Secretary
● Elected by the GECO board members.
● Is responsible for taking minutes at the board meetings and having a copy of those minutes available for board members at the next meeting. Once voted on, these minutes are filed in the official notebook which can be viewed by any GECO member.
● Is responsible for mailing out correspondence to GECO families including orientation packets, and ballots for the GECO board election in April.
● The board secretary is also responsible for keeping an uptodate record of all GECO members, names and addresses of members entitled to vote in board elections.
● Must have a complete membership directory ready to hand out to GECO members soon after each semester starts.
Board Treasurer
● Elected by the GECO board members.
● Is responsible for making all payments from GECO’s funds for the maintenance and upkeep of
Grace Enrichment Coop. Such as payments to the church for rent, reimbursing members or teachers for materials bought for GECO’s use, etc.
● Purchasing supplies needed for the operation of GECO including office supplies, and cleaning supplies.
● The treasurer is authorized to reimburse expenses filed on GECO Reimbursement Sheets with proper receipts up to the amount of $100. Any amount over that must have the approval of the board before reimbursement can be made.
Board Administrator
● Elected by the GECO board members.
● Is responsible for settling any grievances that a GECO family may have. A copy of the grievances policy will be provided.
