FAQs
Q: |
What is SHE? |
A: |
The Sunbury Home Educators (SHE) is a Christ-centered homeschool co-op which welcomes all homeschooling families for encouragement and support. |
Q: |
What does it mean to be a Christ-centered group? |
A: |
Joining SHE and participating in Activity Day (AD) means becoming a member of a Christian community where families are willing to serve with a spirit of unity and cooperation. Here we share blessing, support, fellowship, accountability and responsibility. When each member uses their time, talents and energy to help, the group runs smoothly and we all enjoy the blessing. The Activity Day Team (ADT) members, who facilitate AD and oversee all of SHE, sign a personal profession of faith. General members are not required to sign this, as all are welcome to participate. |
Q: |
What is the Personal Profession of Faith that the Activity Day Team members sign? |
A: |
I believe the Bible in its entirety is the inspired, inerrant and authoritative Word of God.
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Q: |
What is the benefit of joining SHE? |
A: |
Members have access to our website, where field trips and social events are posted through our forums. All members are free to post questions, field trips, other outings, prayer requests, and get support in their homeschooling endeavors. In addition, SHE members may participate in annual parties, standardized testing in June, and/or our 24 week session of Activity Day (AD). |
Q: |
How do I become a member of SHE? |
A: |
In order to join SHE, you must request membership and submit an online form. If you are interested in participating in our weekly co-op classes at Activity Day, please complete the form for SHE Membership & AD Participation. Otherwise, complete the form designated for SHE Membership Only. Both forms include a waiver of liability. You must also pay a $40.00 annual membership fee by either mailing a check or using PayPal. Your SHE membership will be processed once your form and payment have been received. You will then be sent a welcome letter via email to confirm your membership in SHE. Please allow about a week to process. New members may join SHE at any time. However, the membership process must be completed (either for the first time or as a renewal) during the spring in order to be eligible for AD participation the following school year. Check the calendar for the exact dates. |
Q: |
How does communication occur within SHE? |
A: |
Nearly ALL of our communication is done via email. You will be required to provide your email address when requesting membership through the website. Once your membership is approved, you will be able to receive any informational notices regarding SHE. Please add [email protected] to your email contacts as we will occasionally use this address to contact members in addition to communications that are sent via the website. You will also be asked to provide a phone number and enable text messaging when you request membership. We use text messaging only to communicate Activity Day cancellations and for emergency situations. |
Q: |
What is Activity Day (AD)? |
A: |
Activity Day is a wonderful benefit of being a member of SHE. These weekly co-op classes are offered for an additional fee and allow your family to take various types of classes with other homeschooling families in the area. Classes are taught by SHE parents or outside teachers, and range in age from Pre-K through High School. The classes vary from art and gym to science and cooking. This is also a great place to develop lasting friendships! |
Q: |
What does it mean to be a co-op? |
A: |
This means that we are a group of families working alongside other families to help our children have the best homeschooling experience possible. We are all volunteers working for the good of the entire group. We are not a group that allows children to be dropped off at the various activities offered by SHE. Instead, we encourage all family members to be involved. This allows everyone to receive the most benefits from being a SHE member. |
Q: |
Where do Activity Day classes meet? |
A: |
We are currently meeting in Sunbury, Ohio. For the privacy of our families, the exact location is shared with members only. |
Q: |
What is the calendar for Activity Day classes? |
A: |
Classes run for 24 weeks: 12 weeks in the fall, starting in September, and 12 weeks in the winter, resuming mid-January. We meet once a week, and classes run from 9:00 until 3:00. Classes are 55 minutes long. We hold a Showcase at the end of the year for students to share with family and friends what they have learned. |
Q: |
What are the costs associated with Activity Day? |
A: |
In addition to the $40.00 yearly SHE membership fee, there are two different fees for anyone wishing to participate in Activity Day.
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Q: |
Who can participate in Activity Day? |
A: |
You must be a member of SHE in order to be eligible for Activity Day participation. Participation in Activity Day is determined in the spring for the next school year. (Please check the calendar for specific dates.) SHE members who participated the previous year are admitted to AD first. Other returning SHE members are admitted next. (A returning member is defined as someone who joined SHE before the third week of classes the previous year.) Finally, AD participation is opened to any new members of SHE. (A new member is defined as someone who joined SHE after the third week of classes the previous year.) Participation in AD has a maximum capacity of 60 families. If this has not been met by returning AD participants, other returning SHE members can be admitted to AD. If there are more returning SHE members that wish to participate in AD than can be admitted, participants will be chosen using a lottery system. Likewise, if all interested returning SHE members have been admitted and the cap has not been reached, a lottery of new members will be held to select additional AD participants if necessary. Additionally, priority placement in the lottery system is given to families that have at least one school-aged child. That means that only families with a school-aged child will be included in initial lottery drawings. Secondary drawings will be held for families that do not have a school-aged child. If the maximum family capacity is not met, AD participation will remain open until the third week of classes. If it becomes necessary to create a waitlist, the lottery system will also be applied as described above to determine the order in which families are placed on the waitlist. |
Q: |
How does class registration work and when is it? |
A: |
Class registration is completed on the SHE website during May. (Please check the calendar for specific dates.) Members are given instructions about when registration will open and how to use the website to complete registration and class payments. We implement a 4-tiered class registration schedule:
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Q: |
I've missed registration day, but still want to take classes. Can I still sign up? |
A: |
If we still have any class openings and we are not at the maximum for membership, then yes. Registration closes for the summer so that the ADT can take time off to spend with their families. Registration resumes at the end of August. All the information that you need to become a member and register for classes can be found here on the website. We keep registration open through the third week of classes, but allow teachers the option of choosing whether or not to accept students after classes begin. |
Q: |
How many classes does my child need to take in order to participate in Activity Day? |
A: |
You can register your child for as few or as many classes as meets your particular family's needs. |
Q: |
Are there any parental responsibilities associated with taking classes at Activity Day? |
A: |
Yes! Parents are not allowed to drop off students, and are required to help supervise when their children are not in class. Parents must also volunteer in the classroom, nursery, or other areas of need. The amount of volunteer time is based on the amount of time you are there (if you are only there for a one hour class, we wouldn't expect you to stay longer to volunteer, except to fulfill your required cleaning rotation at the end of the day) as well as the number of classes offered and the number of families that participate. This varies from year to year, as we rely heavily on parents to teach. We also implement a cleaning rotation, so all families are required to help clean the church at the end of the day, or work out an arrangement with another family to cover their cleaning duties. This usually is just a few weeks each year, but also is based on the number of families participating. |
Q: |
Why do I have to help at Activity Day? |
A: |
In order to make AD a success, it is crucial that everyone fulfills their parent positions. This also allows each family to maintain their good standing for future class registration. |
Q: |
What do I do with my young children when I help if there is no class for them to take? |
A: |
We have a nursery available for those five and under which parents can utilize when they are serving in a parent position. Many times younger children are welcome to tag along as long as this has been approved by the teacher and doesn't disrupt the class. |
Q: |
How do I find a sub for Activity Day if I get sick or have to be out of town? |
A: |
Once class registration is complete, we will create a sub list that is shared with all Activity Day participants, and it will be here at the website. You will also have the opportunity to indicate any particular areas in which you would prefer to help, or those that would not be suitable. We do our best to place you in the parent positions that fit your needs and family situation. |
Q: |
What does it mean to be in good standing? |
A: |
We expect all members to participate willingly in their volunteer positions. Following the guidelines set forth in the Member Handbook will keep one in good standing. |
Q: |
How do I find out if classes are cancelled? |
A: |
All individual class cancellations are handled by the teacher, so if a single class has to be cancelled, the teacher will email students. If all of Activity Day is cancelled, an email and text message will be sent out to participants letting them know of the cancellation. Please be in the habit of checking your email before leaving for Activity Day. |
Q: |
What do I do if I'm having trouble with the website? |
A: |
If you are a SHE member and having difficulty with the website, please contact the SHE Administrator. You can find her email address using the "Contact Us" link provided at the bottom of the page. |