Valley Faith Co-op


Valley Faith Co-op’s Frequently Asked Questions

  • What Classes are you offering?
    • Classes will begin soon for the fall semester. Remember you must submit your General Membership form and membership payment BEFORE registration for co-op classes is possible. 
    • —> HERE is the class listing for this Co-op year.  <—-(This sheet is just a summary of available classes, please log in as a member to view all details as submited by each teacher and register for classes when they are open.)
  • What is a homeschool co-op?   The Dictionary defines cooperative as an organization that is owned and run jointly by its members who share the profits or benefits. A homeschool co-op is a group of homeschooling families who come together to enrich their experience by learning from and with one another. Teamwork divides the tasks and multiplies the success. Valley Faith Co-op (a subgroup of Valley Home School Association) exists to help connect families and teachers in a co-operative environment as a top level commitment for all participants on 12 Thursdays of the school year to provide mutual encouragement as well as supplemental and elective activities which can be hard for homeschool families to accomplish individually. This falls under the authority of the VHSA Purpose Statement, per the bylaws: The purpose of this organization is to support the efforts of Christian home educators by providing opportunities for fellowship, encouragement, education, and the exchange of ideas and information from a Biblical perspective.
  • Co-op dates: (These are tentative and subject to change), Teacher class submission deadline: 7/31/23
    >>Registration: 8/21/23-8/31/23

    • Dates for next school year: 9/14 orientation. Class days 2023: 9/21, 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, 11/30 with 12/7 as a makeup day. 2024: 1/11, 1/25, 2/8, 2/22, 3/7, 3/21, and 3/28 for a makeup day. Closing program, will be the evening of 3/21/24 unless we have at least two canceled co-op days and then it will be 3/28/24
  • Statement of Faith: We require all participants to be VHSA members and all teachers to sign our statement of faith. You can find our statement of faith HERE. Prospective teachers who sign the VHSA statement of faith under Option #2 (noted with objections) must:
    • FIRST be approved by leadership, who will then submit the teacher, class title, and objection notes to the Membership for approval. 
    • SECOND be affirmed by VHSA membership vote at the first parent meeting of the year. Each class must have at least one teacher, co-teacher, or room monitor who can sign the Statement of Faith without reservation. 
    • If the primary teacher opts to sign option #2, then they must find a co-teacher who signs under option #1, or the room monitor position will be labeled as needing an option #1 volunteer.
    • We occasionally have teachers who are members of the community; they are also required to sign the Statement of Faith and be affirmed in the process noted above if they sign with reservations. They are not required to be members of VHSA to teach. For example: local banker offering a finance class, local pastor offering a Bible course, or a local 4H leader offering a robotics class.
  • Is this similar to a private school? No, co-op is a supplement to your home school program, but not a replacement.
  • How often does co-op meet? Co-op meets one day, every other week. There are six classes each semester, (12 total in the school year).
  • What curriculum do you use? There is no set curriculum. Each teacher sets up their own class. You can choose which classes best fit your child’s needs.
  • How much does co-op cost?
  •   While the Co-op has no fee, you are required to be a member of VHSA ($35/yr) to participate in the Co-op Classes. Some classes offered require an additional fee by the teacher, such as private lessons; those classes are optional and need to be paid directly to the teacher.  You can find our membership form HERE.
    • How and when do I pay for a class that requires a fee?  Class fees (when applicable) will be paid directly to the teacher.  You will have the opportunity to pay them by putting it in their teacher envelope at the welcome table on co-op class days.  VHSA will not handle any cash outside of membership fees.  If a class includes a fee, the fee must be paid on the first day of classes, or payment arrangements must be made prior to the first class. By registering for a class or private lesson which includes a fee, you are required to pay the full amount, regardless of attendance.  All makeup lessons/sessions are to be worked out individually with the instructor.
  • Can I teach a class?  Yes! This is the definition of a co-op. Each offering their gifts to skills to bless each other.  In fact, we give teachers a special early registration so their kids get the premium spots in classes, as a thank you for teaching. Deadline to sign up to teach for 2023-24 has closed, but take a look at our forms below to see if you would be interested in teaching for our 2024-25 school year! *These forms have now CLOSED for the current school year*
  • I’d love to join in on the fun, what do I need to do to register for classes?  First, join VHSA by filling out membership information and paying the annual membership fee of $35/per family. Browse through our course catalog, decide what classes would suit your children, and sign up during our Class registration period, this year will be the end of August!
  • What if my kids want to be in a class for a different age?  The placement of any student is at the discretion of the parents and teachers, with the teacher having final say.  Please contact the teacher to have any age/grade exceptions approved prior to registering for classes.
  • You offer a lot of great classes, but we can’t be there all day. Are we required to do so?  Absolutely not! The co-op exists to supplement your homeschool program.  Schedule classes in whatever manner suits your family.
  • Can I drop my kids off and go grab a coffee? We all have many caffeine needs. But as long as you have a child on site, you must remain on site. Unless, of course, you are offering to buy for everyone-then special arrangements can be made immediately. 😉
  • Is lunch provided?  No, lunch is not provided by the co-op.  All co-op participants will be asked to bring along a sack lunch or provide their own lunch in some form. There will be a designated lunch break during the co-op day.
  • Where can I be if I don’t sign up for a class but I am still on site?  In order to respect the students and teachers and to cut down on distractions, we ask that all students/parents not in a class stay in the foyer or designated quiet study area.
  • I am a preschool parent and I am undecided about homeschooling. Can I register my kids?  Yes, please join us! There are many classes that are perfect for preschoolers. In fact we have a morning preschool academy and a new nursery school.  Please fill out the VHSA membership form and register your preschoolers for any classes you wish for them to attend.
  • I will be placing some of my children in the nursery; do I need to register them? Yes, please register all nursery aged children for the times you will be utilizing the nursery so we can properly care for your little ones.  Our nursery is for children ages 0-2 whose parents are teaching or helping with a class during the time the child is in the nursery.  The nursery will be open after the opening assembly from 9:30am-2:10pm (closed during lunch).
  • What is a parent representative?  Life happens and scheduling conflicts occur. We understand that there may be times where your children can make it to co-op, but a parent cannot.  Should this occur, a parent representative can fill in for the parent’s absence.  Please make sure that the elected individual is 18 years old and listed on your registration form. We further ask that this not be a regular occurrence.
  • What if my child has a discipline issue during a class?  We’re certain they won’t. 😉 But in the unlikely event this should occur, we will kindly ask the parent to step in as they will be required to be on site during the time the child is attending a class.
  • Can I help volunteer?  We actually require it!  Parents (or the parent representative) who sign their children up to participate in classes will be asked to sign up to help volunteer while their children are attending class. Some examples of volunteer positions include: teachers, teacher helpers, bathroom/hallway monitor, substitute teacher, nursery, clean-up, and lunch room set up.  Volunteer positions will be chosen online when you register. All families will be assigned one clean up task to complete before leaving for the day. If you are physically unable to complete your task, please let co-op leadership know.
  • What about accountability?  All classes will have at least two adults present in the classroom.  Any doors without windows will remain open during class times.  The only exception will be private music lessons, during which the parent of the child taking the lessons will be responsible for keeping an eye on their child’s lesson.