General Policies and Guidelines

 Teacher/ Parent Absentee Policy
 Teachers must make an effort to schedule a substitute for their  classes if they will not be attending co-op on a particular day. Once a replacement is found, please email or call Susan  Nicholson, the teacher and assistant coordinator, to let her  know about the change. We understand that unexpected, last-minute illnesses or other  situations can occur. If you are
unable to find someone to teach for you, call Susan and she will assist in finding a fill-in.

However, please make every attempt to find a substitute on your own first. A list of available substitutes during each period will be given to teachers at the beginning of
co-op.

 Guest Speaker Policy
 When planning a guest speaker, the teacher must first notify the  co-op steering committee. The teacher will then be expected to notify parents via email of  the upcoming guest speaker,
 and to communicate openly with the children and their parents  afterward, particularly if the speaker taught something contrary to the GGFCHS Statement of  Belief

Visitor Policy
When visitors are brought to co-op, parents need to be sure they  are
signed into the  visitor log at the front table.

 Building Use Expectations/Policy
 All involved with co-op are expected to be respectful of the  Gospel Lighthouse Church  building and staff. The co-op is unaffiliated with the church,  and no one should borrow church supplies or use church facilities in a manner unspecified for co-op. The steering
committee has extra supplies (pencils, glue, staplers, etc.) and  a first aid kit available at the front table. Please always look for your help there, rather than  the church office. Let us strive
to make as little of a disruption in the church’s daily  operations as possible, allowing it to further God’s work without distraction from our presence.

 Classroom Behavior Expectations & Discipline
Policy
 Teachers will set specific classroom rules and expectations,  which will be clearly  communicated to the students, and made available for the parents
as well. If a teacher believes a student is behaving in an inappropriate manner, there is a three-step process to follow:

 1. The teacher will address the student directly about the  problem in as private a manner as possible.

 2. If the problem behavior continues, the student will be asked  to leave the class for the  day, and be escorted to his or her parent/responsible  adult.

3. If the problem behavior occurs again, the teacher will request a meeting with the child’s  parent and a member of the steering committee. All effort will
be made to resolve the  problem in a manner satisfactory to all involved. If, however, it cannot be resolved, the
child may be asked to permanently leave the class.

 If problems occur consistently across various classes, a member  of the steering committee will  meet with the child and his or her parent to attempt to resolve  the issue. If a solution cannot  be reached, for the safety and benefit of all of the children in co-op, the steering committee  reserves the right to remove this child from co-op.

 For Students

 Students will be active participants in their classes.

 Students will be respectful of their teachers and other
parents.

 Students will not be disruptive in the classroom, and will  understand teachers do have a three-step process in place to deal with behavioral problems, as  well as the prerogative
to ask them to leave the class.

 Students in 6th grade and up will maintain assignment notebooks in order to keep track of their teachers’ expectations.

Students will stay within the areas of the church specified for  co-op use and will not use/play with anything that belongs to the church unless they
have been given permission to do so. Students will treat the church building
with respect, not running  through it or maltreating it in any way.

 Students may not run/play in the parking lot, or in any outdoor
area unless supervised by an adult.

 Students will dress modestly, in an effort to relate to each other in a Godly
way.

 For Parents
 Parents are responsible for the behavior of their children.  Therefore, a parent must be present and aware of where/ their children are and what they are  doing.

If a parent has received permission for his or her child to attend co-op alone, 
that parent must assign another present adult to be responsible for his or her
child.

Parents are expected to participate in the co-op (hence the term
cooperative). Everyone should be doing something to assist in some way. If
parents are unwilling to contribute, they could jeopardize their child’s spot in co-op, and will be approached by  a member of the steering committee in regards to the same. 

Children will not be  registered for co-op until their parents sign up for a spot in which to help.
 
If you are unable to attend co-op for any day, See Teacher /Parent Absentee Policy

 Parents will strive to work with each other in a cooperative  manner, dealing with any problems that are brought to their attention in a timely and  respectful way.

 Parents will endeavor to remember that we all approach the  education of our children  from slightly different perspectives, and we are all volunteers
in this effort. Please give teachers some latitude, and discuss any concerns directly with them, if necessary.

Parents will complete a Student Profile for each of their children before the start of coop,  in an effort to provide teachers with important information,
such as what the  family’s expectations are of the co-op (Is this counted academic work or  strictly enrichment? Will you be requiring your child to complete  assigned work assignments?),   as well as behavioral or medical items of note for the
child.

 Parents will check their emails for general co-op updates and
weekly messages from teachers, understanding that most communication will occur this
way. 

One of the “co-operation jobs” for parents is clean-up at the close of co-op. We need to leave the church facility better then we found it.


 

 For Teachers
 Every effort will be made to have two adults in each classroom  at all times. Similarly, one adult should never be alone with one child who is not his or
her own child.

When  a child is escorted to the restroom, the adult is to wait
outside for the child, and then return him or her to class.


Teachers will strive to work with parents in a cooperative  manner, communicating  freely, respectfully, and often with them.


Teachers will review all of the Student Profiles for their classes, and will contact parents or a steering committee member with any questions raised by
them.

 Teachers will provide a syllabus or course description before or  at the start the co-op  year. Expectations will be made clear to parents and students up
front as much as is  possible. When appropriate (all school age classes under  6th  grade), teachers will communicate weekly assignments to parents via email. Children in  6th
grade and up  will be expected to maintain an assignment notebook, of which teachers will facilitate the use.

 Teachers are expected to choose classroom material in such a way
that is consistent with the vision of the co-op and with biblical principles.
Assistance in this is available  from the steering committee. If there is any doubt or question,  please check first.

Classrooms or work areas will be picked up at the end of each
period, and any spills  (from food, art…) need to be cleaned  thoroughly.