FAQs

Q:

A:

We are a group of homeschool families that come together in cooperation to provide educational and social activities for our children. We are an entirely volunteer ran group that depends on the group for the flow

NKHC is a cooperative organization.

• Cooperative: “involving mutual assistance in working toward a common goal” (Google Oxford Languages). 

Therefore, it will be integral to the success of the program for all individual family members to participate in order to meet our goals. The classes offered will be those chosen by parents, who will act as teachers. Parents who are not filling the role of teachers will act as teachers’ aids, lunch and recess monitors, clean-up crews, and more. Parents also do all the planning, newsletters, communication, and creation of all co-op activities, field trips, parties meetings, and more. All Board members and Leadership Team members are parents. We need our parents to fill many roles to make our co-op successful.

Q:

A:

As a nonsectarian group, we may not be entirely secular, by everyone's standards, but we do not adhere any specific belief system either. We acknowledge that our members come from diverse backgrounds and may hold their own biases. To respect everyone’s individual backgrounds and beliefs, we aim to maintain a neutral stance in our classrooms. 

It's worth noting that a significant portion, if not the majority, of our members align with secular homeschooling in the traditional sense. 

Q:

A:

The term ‘nonsectarian’ means not involving or relating to a specific religious sect or political group. At NKHC, we embrace diversity and refrain from taking a stance on any political views, religious backgrounds, or homeschool philosophies. Member families represent the full spectrum of homeschooling philosophies and practices, from unschooling to participation in school district ALE programs. We welcome families from all cultural and religious backgrounds, and we are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment where all students can comfortably share their unique ideas, beliefs, traditions, interests, and talents.

Q:

A:

No, we do not.  We are a nonsectarian group and members of all faiths, and beliefs are welcomed. The only adherence we require is our CARE policy.

We Speak with CARE • We learn with CARE • We play with CARE

Q:

A:

Click here to go to our request membership page.  Membership approval is based on availability and class sizes.

There is a three step process.

1. When you request to join the Community Outreach Coordinator will  email you a few questions. This is also a good time to ask any questions that you have as well. Once you have emailed us back your answers then the board will review and decide if we have space or not. You will receive an email telling you what to do next.

2. Families that have completed the application paperwork will be invited for a tour or a meet and greet. 

3. The admin team and you are ready to get you enrolled a board member will reach out to you and help you get started

   please contact us anytime with any questions

Q:

A:

Our group is very small and intimate. Because of that we only offer tours to families who have approval first. Please reach out to northkitsaphomeschoolcommunity@gmail.com with any questions. If you are ready to join our community then you can fill out the application at the top right hand side of the main page.

Q:

A:

No, we are a parent-run organization and can only flourish with active weekly parent participation from all families. You are required to be on campus at all times.  We have volunteer jobs available to make the day run smoothly.

The responsible adult must stay the whole time. Due to the nature of a co-op our parents are working most of the day. We try to give each family one free block so you can build relationships, but can not guarantee this.

Q:

A:

Classes are best when there is participation, however, we realize that there are emergencies and unforseeable circumstances in those cases we just request that you ensure that any volunteer jobs you sign up for are fulfilled before you leave. 

If you only plan to participate alternating weeks or half the day on a regular basis then this would not be the co-op for you.

Planned absences should be rare, and we schedule break weeks to help families minimize their time away from co-op. Please see our handbook for specific guidelines to handle planned and unforseen absences.

Q:

A:

To enhance the learning experience, we go on several field trips each year.  We have a fabulous social committee that plans great field trips and parties, Parents are responsible for providing transportation and supervision. 

Q:

A:

We offer classes and groups for all school-age children from Pre-K and up. Every family must have a child who is 5 years old or older in September of the academic year.

Groups are based on the child's age in SEPTEMBER:

Caterpillars: ages 3-4 (Preschool)

Butterflies: ages 5-6 (Kinder and First grade)

Orcas: ages 7-9 (Second-Fourth Grades)

Woodpeckers ages 10-11 (Fifth and Sixth grade)

Bears ages 12+ (7th+ grades)

Eagles ages 14+ (High School)

Q:

A:

While our program is primarily a K-12 program if there are enough preschoolers or toddlers we will create a class.If there are enough 3 or 4 year olds we can set up preschool program for thoses families that also have older children (at least kindergarten enrolled). If there are not enough students to hold a class we will decide if it's worth having a class or if we should have parents keep their preschoolers with them during the day.

Q:

A:

Classes run on a school year schedule (September-June) with a break every 5-6 weeks. There is a long winter break December-January. Exact dates are planned and posted on the main page. We have approximately 3 terms which are 10-12 weeks long.

Current members will still gather and get together during summer months.

Q:

A:

We offer a wide variety of new and exciting classes each term.  Please visit our classes and registration page for more information on our current classes. Some of our favorite past classes have been Lego Robotics, Eating Your Way across the USA, Computer Programming, Hogwarts School of Wizardy, Forensic Science, and Emergency Preparedness.

We offer a mix of semester and year-long classes

Q:

A:

*FAMILY FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND DO NOT INCLUDE CLASSROOM FEES WHICH ARE CALCULATED AT EACH SESSION*

Family Fees: $200/family

Classroom fees: Dependent on the class. We aim for fewer than $ 5 per day of class but there are many free and less expensive options as well. Class fees are set by our teachers and the amount they need for materials and supplies.

FUNDRAISERS: 

everyone is required to participate in fundraisers as the ever changing economy is making it difficult for us to keep our family registration low enough to also be able to afford the overhead. 

Q:

A:

We meet once a week, on Tuesdays, from 9:45AM-2:15PM in Bremerton, WA.

We also offer an elective community day where there are clubs and additional class options.

We also often gather for playdates and other gatherings during the week as well

Q:

A:

Open registration dates for new member families are announced approximately 6 weeks prior to the start of the term.

In-house/returning member families are given priority status and are eligible for early registration, once returning families are registered then we will see where and if there is space before we open up membership to new members

Q:

A:

Every parent teaches and/or TAs. 

Everyone chooses a committee that they would like to work with (each committee meets during the co-op day to be accessible to everyone)