FAQs
CWF Info
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How do I join CWF? |
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Click on "Login" in the top right corner, then select "Request Membership" or click here. |
Membership Requirements
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What is required of co-op member families? |
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Teaching: A parent or guardian is required to teach 1 class period and assist 1 class period. We will have a time of fellowship during and after lunch. Cleaning: Each family is assigned to help clean the church after co-op 2-3 times each semester. It takes just 15-30 minutes. Duties include vacuuming the rooms, wiping down tables and sinks, and gathering trash. Click here for the Cleaning Schedule. Volunteer Duties: In addition to cleaning duties, each family will be assigned to a volunteer committee. While we are happy to take requests for volunteer duties, the board will assign them based on need. These duties are vital for the functioning of our co-op and allow us to also offer holiday parties, field trips, nametages, IDs, a yearbook, and our closing program. |
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What is required of social & support group members? |
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We are an all volunteer co-op so we do ask members to contribute in some way. Opportunities include:
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Do I have to teach to participate in co-op? |
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Yes! A parent from each family is required to teach at least 1 workshop. New families do not have to teach their first semester but will be expected to submit a class their second semester. If you are a long time member and a major life event has you going crazy, please let us know and you can be exempt from teaching for up to a year. If for any reason you do not teach a class (new member, class did not meet minimum enrollment, life crisis) then you may be asked to do extra cleaning or planning that semester instead. |
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Can we send our child with another family? |
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For social events, parents may bring one another's children or invite friends. That parent is responsible for those children at all times! For co-op we do not allow this option as a general rule. We have, on occasion, allowed members in good standing to send their children in with another family due to extenuating circumstances. If too many families wish to do this, however, we would not have enough teachers and our co-op would quickly fall apart! We reserve the right to limit this option to just one or two families each semester and will rescind the privilege if it becomes a burden on the co-op. No matter the circumstances, all families are expected to perform volunteer responsibilities. Any family that does not teach a class will be assigned additional duties. Note: Children must be 7 years old or older to attend without a parent and must be assigned to the care of another willing adult. This adult assumes full responsibility for your child in your absence and may require additional paperwork. |
Classes & Workshops
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How long is CWF? |
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Our co-op runs 2 semesters -- 10 weeks in the Fall and 12 weeks in the Spring. Workshops run from 9:45 am to 1:30 pm. Families commit to spending the entire day at co-op and students get to take a class of their choice both periods then we eat lunch together and enjoy an hour of fellowship/free play. Each parent teaches one workshop and assists in another. Since our co-op is made up strictly of parent volunteers, instructors are not paid. This keeps our costs reasonable for most families. Teachers may charge a nominal fee to cover the cost of materials or may request a certain textbook and/or supplies be bought for the class. |
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What does my child need to bring to CWF each week? |
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Your child needs to have a backpack with the following age-appropriate items: a folder for each class, pens, pencils, writing paper, crayons or colored pencils, scissors, liquid glue or glue stick, and a ruler. Please check on these items a few times each semester to swap out dried up glue sticks or replace lost colors. |
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Do you have workshops for high schoolers? |
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Yes, we have workshops for high schoolers. Although choices vary from semester to semester, please see our Course Grid to get an idea what types of classes are typically offered for each grade. At the end of every semester, we also make up a wish list to help parents get an idea of what classes are in demand. |
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What if my student doesn't want to take any of the classes offered a certain hour? |
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You are definitely going to run into this at some point if you are a long time co-op member! Please remember, however, that as a parent-led co-op selections will vary widely from year to year. And the classes your kids love will more than make up for the few that they don't. Remember, even if your student doesn't love every subject, chances are he or she will still have a lot of fun making friends and trying something new. Here are some options to help make sure your child has a great experience:
We do not allow late arrivals, early departures, or free periods just because a student is not interested in a class during a particular hour. Please understand that many families join a co-op purely for social interaction. Your student's presence is a valuable part of the co-op experience to others! Encourage your child to be positive about trying something new and assure them that they are a blessing to their classmates! |
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I have a baby or a toddler. Is there a place for them at co-op? |
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If we have families with babies or toddlers we will run a nursery. If you are the parent of a baby or toddler and you don't see a "Nursery" row on the class registration grid already, you will most likely have to spend your teaching and assistant hours in the nursery/toddler room during your first semester at CWF. If we know we need a nursery before the class grid is set for the semester, we will ask other parents to help out as well. Note: the nursery is for younger siblings only. CWF families must have at least one child of school age (K-12) to participate. |
Costs
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How much does CWF cost? |
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CWF keeps costs low by being a parent-led, all volunteer group. For co-op members:Registration is $130 per family per semester. This fee includes church rental, group liability insurance, and web maintenance. Workshop fees range from $2 - $20 per student per class for the entire semester. Average total cost for families with:
For Social Group Members:Cost is $30 each semester and participation over the summer is free. Fees cover our website, insurance, building rental for holiday parties, school IDs (Fall memberships only) and a yearbook (Spring memberships only). Payment is due by:
Your account will be billed $30 as soon as you register on our website. If you join after the deadline for receiving IDs (in the Fall) or the yearbook (in the Spring), your first payment will be applied to the next semester. (For example, if you join in November, you will still have to pay $30, but it covers your membership from November to May and summer is free. You will receive a yearbook in April but NOT homeschool IDs for that year.) |
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What does the registration fee cover? |
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The Registration Fee for co-op members mainly covers church rental and liability insurance*. A small portion of it also goes to administrative and overhead costs such as postage, photocopies, cleaning supplies, and website hosting. For social group members the fee mainly covers the website and insurance. A portion of the Fall fee goes to printing homeschool IDs and a portion of the Spring fee goes to yearbook expenses. *The insurance fee is only for liability coverage in case the church or church property gets damaged while CWF is in session. Families are responsible for their own medical insurance in case a child gets injured while at CWF. |
Teaching Guidelines
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I don't know what to teach.... Any ideas!? |
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You can teach anything you wish! Go with your strengths or personal interests. If you are new, it might be helpful to stick to the basics such as art, gym, geography, or social studies. Our class sizes tend to be smaller, so please offer your classes to multiple grade levels. Common groupings are Pre-K/K, 1st - 3rd, 4th - 6th, 6th & up, and High School only. You can also visit our forum to see if there are any class requests (note: you must be a member to access the forums). Pinterest also has some wonderful ideas -- search "Homeschool Workshops" or "Homeschool Co-op" ideas or classes. |
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What should I charge for the workshop I offer? |
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The short answer: estimate your costs for the consumable goods per student that will be used during the semster and charge ONLY that amount! You may not be reimbursed for education kits or a complete curriculum. We highly recommend you allow parents to purchase their own textbooks (but please list them in your course description). The long answer (with examples, tips, and the reasoning behind this) can be found here. |
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Can I teach more than one workshop? |
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Sure! One option is to teach the same subject to a higher and lower age group. It is easier for parents to plan but gives our kids more choices! Spouses, grandparents, and high school students are also welcome to submit classes. |
Absences
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What if I or one of my children gets sick? |
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If you will be unable to attend CWF co-op for any reason you need to call the Absentee Coordinator ASAP so we can make sure your classes* and volunteer jobs are covered. See the Directory to find out the name and number of the Absentee Coordinator. (Only members may access the Directory.) When texting or emailing the Absentee Coordinator, please include the following: your name, the names and hours of the classes you teach and assist, and whether any of your children will be attending with another family. Also please mention if you are on the schedule for cleaning duty that day. *In most cases your class assistant will be filling in to teach your class if you are absent. One of the responsibilities of teachers and assistants is to make sure the assistant is prepared to fill-in with no notice. Please make sure your assistant is ready! |
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What if we go on vacation during the semester (or have another planned absence)? |
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You may have one pre-planned absence each semester. Please inform the Absentee Coordinator as soon as possible with your plans so that a substitute can be arranged for your classes. (See the Directory to find out the name and number of the Absentee Coordinator. Only members may access the Directory.) |
Social Media
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Does CWF have a Facebook page? |
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Yes, we do! We have a public Facebook page where we post public events and invite new members to join us. Please "like" our page and share events with your friends! We also have a closed group for members only. This is a great place to discuss any homeschooling topic, ask for class ideas, plan a spontaneous trip to the park or a museum, or see if anyone can bring some baking soda to make that volcano for your science class! Click here to join. Note: While any member may post to our FB page and we do encourage everyone to use it to socialize and plan spontaneous get-togethers, we ask that no official CWF functions be planned or announced exclusively through Facebook. Some members do not use Facebook and we don't want to exclude anyone who chooses not to use social media! |
Advertising & Fundraising
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Do we have to participate in fundraisers? |
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No, fundraisers are optional. But we actually put a lot of thought into choosing fundraisers that are fun and easy and don't require selling anything!
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Can I advertise my business with CWF? Can my kids offer their fundraising items? |
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It depends. Members may put flyers, samples, or other marketing materials on the parents' table in the lunch room during co-op. This includes order forms for children's fundraisers. Parents are encouraged to all eat together and socialize for a bit after classes and will have a chance to see what you are offering then. Please do not approach parents directly to "pitch" your product or fundraiser. Third parties may advertise with CWF by emailing flyers, offers, coupons, or discounts to [email protected]. If we feel your product or service will benefit our members, we will share whatever you send us on Facebook and possibly print out your flyer to put on our parents' table. Please do not use the directory to mass mail or email our members!This includes asking for money for a good cause such as a needy family you know or a short term missions trip. We do have a program in place to help members of the CWF community. If we plan on supporting someone as a group -- for example, to start a meal train for a new mom -- we will include it in the weekly announcements (even then we won't ask people individually or pressure anyone to participate). Note: Our website has the capability of offering a member business directory. We currently do not use this function because our board members currently do not have time to maintain it. If anyone wishes to volunteer to set-up the business directory please let a board member know -- we would be thrilled to have this! All we ask is that you offer to add any and all businesses run by CWF co-op and social group members. You could also occasionally link to this directory on our Facebook groups and spotlight a different member business weekly or month. |