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We are a relationship-based, family oriented, Christian, homeschooling co-op. We strive to build Godly relationships while celebrating a Christian, homeschooling worldview.  All the while, we are discipling our children in their relationship with Christ and one another.  We support each other, as an extended family, while allowing our children to continue to grow in learning, by taking risks and developing skills, all in a safe environment.

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Due to the limited size of the co-op, there is usually more interest than there is room. So, several criteria are used to help allocate the limited space to families that want to participate. They must:

• believe Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and believe in His death and resurrection, and that the Bible is the sole and infallible Word of God, fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the authority by which we live; believe that we are all sinners, and that we are saved through faith and not by any works that we can do, and believe in the Trinity;
• agree that marriage is between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:18-25; 1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4; Matt.15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10);
• agree God created only two genders (Gen. 1:26-27);
• agree that all Co-op activities and teaching must not contradict the previous items;
• sign a statement affirming the previous items;
• have participated in the entirety of the previous Co-op year (or from when they joined, if not the entire year);
• live locally;
• ‘Homeschool’ all the children in the home using the AFHE* definition;
• have every child participate in Co-op;
• own no more than three trained, pet penguins.

Once the need for some sort of criteria was realized, the coordinators and parents that actively participate in the planning of Co-op created them in the hope that, besides allocating limited space, they will tend to encourage the inclusion of committed Christian families with a common world view, teaching philosophy, and passion to homeschooling. They will also generally keep events local and limit the secular influence on our children. Also, we like to laugh.

*ARS §15-802.G.2: "Homeschool" means a nonpublic school conducted primarily by the parent, guardian or other person who has custody of the child or nonpublic instruction provided in the child's home.

*AFHE: Homeschooling is a “parent-led, family-funded, relationship-based education of a child at home.”

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We have a wonderful, vibrant group that make up our Young Adult Group. At the beginning of each year, when deciding which group each of your children will go to, we strongly recommend that your child be at least 12 before moving them up to the Young Adult group.
A good guide may be to use the timeframe that a child goes through puberty. The Co-op year the child would start after beginning puberty is a good time to bring them into the Young Adult Group. (i.e., When the child enters puberty, the next Co-op year would be a good candidate.) At this time they will begin to have more in common with this older group. In the past, a child moved up too early tends to experience difficulty connecting socially. Ultimately it is your decision.

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The Young Adult class generally has some outside work that needs to be completed before each Co-op meeting. If your family is a member of Co-op, by default, all children need to complete assignments and be prepared for class. The class cannot function properly if some are unprepared, unable to participate fully, and disrespectfully talks amongst themselves presenting a distraction to others.

Our teachers put a lot of prep time and effort to make the classes great. It is important to respect and honor them and their sacrifice. Learning a good work ethic and practicing diligence, especially when one does not “feel” like it or want to do something, is part of growing up and learning how to be a responsible adult.

If participation is a problem with a child in the Young Adult class, the teachers will notify Co-op leadership. Then it will be addressed with the parent and various potential changes will be made. If the problem continues, a Director will ask the family to not renew their Co-op membership the following year or may have the family stop attending immediately.

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We will be meeting twice (2x) a month on Fridays.

It will generally be the 1^st and 3^rd Friday of the month.

PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF EXCEPTIONS to this on the schedule.

The co-op will be held at Lifepoint church The address of the church is  28479 N Main St, San Tan Valley, AZ 85143

We meet from 9:15 am-12:45pm, with set-up starting at 9:00.

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We will offer Pre-School (0-4), Primary (5-8), Upper Elementary (9-12), and Young Adult (13-18). These ages are just guidelines. As parents, you know best where to place your children.

NOTE: L.O.V.E. Co-op is a relationship based co-op first. We tend to place our children in their classes based on their social level, not on their academic level. 

Example: Just because a 7 year old is advanced academically, does not mean that they should be put in the Upper Elementary class.

There are also other classes that are offered that change from time to time and require seperate enrollment.

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The time commitment to the co-op will be from 9:00-1:15. Clean-up is from 12:45-1:15. We will meet as a whole group at 9:15 in the sanctuary. From 9:15-9:30, we will start off with prayer and praise and worship. There are Three different rotations. Each rotation is 1 hour long. (Please see attached class schedule for an example.)

NOTE: Please plan to complete any set-up by 9:15.  All children and parents must be in the Sanctuary by 9:15 for opening prayer, songs, and announcements.

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L.O.V.E. co-op only works with consistent attendance and a high level of commitment. It is understandable that illnesses come up. However, it is important that everyone try their very best to make it to each co-op. In the event of an absence, please post it on the group site and email the Team Leads.  This will allow the parents that are teaching to plan accordingly.

There is a monthly Teacher Rotation Schedule that is posted in advance that shows where each parent will be teaching/helping. Each age group will, generally, have two Team Leads and one Helper each month.  The Team Leads are responsible for teaching/directing the class in which they are scheduled.

Each mom/parent will take turns, on a monthly basis, team-teaching classes in an age group in which they have a child. (As a general rule, there will be 2-3 parents in each class.)  Activities will be suggested and ideas will be available. You WILL NOT be working alone! However, the parents that are team-teaching will have to coordinate with one another.  The desire is that this will be a fun and successful co-op!  We are willing to help in any way we can to make this run smoothly!

When it is your turn to be a Team Lead for a class, your name will be listed on the Monthly Teacher Rotation Schedule with an asterisk next to it.  You and your team will be responsible for providing minimal supplies for that lesson.  That way everyone will be paying their fair share, yet we won’t have to worry about collecting a buck or two here and there for supplies.

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TEAM LEAD – ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for planning, in advance, valuable and hands-on activities/lessons and gathering ideas for each class.
• Responsible for communicating with the rest of their team and keeping them in the loop.
• Responsible for gathering supplies. Team Leads do not have to purchase everything.First, always check with the rest of your team to see if they have the supplies you need.Then, send out an email to the LOVE group for any remaining supplies.After you have exhausted those two avenues, then you can buy the supplies that are still needed.
• Responsible for making sure set-up is complete at 9:15. (Team Leads will need to show up early on the day of co-op to ensure that everything is set up and ready to go.)
• Responsible for keeping track of the time and rotations.
• If you would like the parents of the kids in your class to bring anything on the day of co-op, Leads are responsible for sending out an email on the L.O.V.E. group no later than the Monday morning prior to the big day.

HELPER  – ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the Team Leads by responding quickly to any emails/texts/calls that are sent/made to them by the Team Leads.
• Offer to bring supplies from home that they have on hand and that they can spare.
• Offer feedback and suggestions if the Team Leads need help or ideas in planning.
• Assist Team Leads on the day of co-op.
• Be responsible for classroom management while the Team Leads are teaching.

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If a Team Lead cannot make it to co-op, the other lead will need to fill in for that person.In the event that there is only one Team Lead and one Helper, the Helper will now become the Lead for that co-op day.

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LOVE co-op requires that every parent stays on campus during the entire co-op. We are not a drop-off co-op. We are a relationship based co-op and experience shows that relationships are more easily formed when parents stay on campus and participate.

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There will be an offering in the amount of $140, per year, per family. This amount is subject to change. This will be broken up into THREE separate payments. (due dates will be provided separately.) The offerings/dues are non-refundable. This is for the electricity, rooms, and sound system that we use at the facility 2x a month.  The first installment will be collected at the beginning of May, and it is needed to hold your spot for the following year.

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We never want finances to be the cause of a member not being able to participate. Please let the Directors know if this becomes a hardship.

Also, if you can assist in providing scholarships, please tell the Directors! Alternatively, feel free to just contribute and the money will be set aside for this purpose.

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Sometimes a child has a bad day. It is the Helper’s duty to manage the classroom and correct behavior if needed. If a child is behaving in an unacceptable manor, please follow these guidelines:
•    Verbally warn the child.
•    Separate child from group or move them to a different seat.
•    Have a helper be this child’s “shadow” for the remainder of class.
•    Remove child from group activity and have them stand/sit by a helper for the duration of class.
•    If undesired behavior is consistent co-op after co-op, and all other resources or methods have been tried, notify Director.

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A:

By being a member of LOVE, you agree to:

• support the policies of L.O.V.E.
• speak positively about L.O.V.E and its members
• direct any questions or concerns to the appropriate individuals.

We are expected to adhere to the following Biblical principles should a conflict arise:

Step 1: We are slow to anger and it is our pleasure to overlook an offense.
(Proverbs  19:11)

• Most of the time, when a conflict arises, we give the person the benefit of the doubt, overlook the offense, and move on.

Step 2: When it is not possible to overlook and move on, we follow the example in Matthew 18:15

• Have a private conversation with the person/s involved and work it out. Sometimes this may simply mean agreeing to disagree.
• Please do not take offense, or quickly become defensive, if someone approaches you looking to solve a problem.

Step 3: If the issue continues after a private conversation, we follow the example in Matthew 18:16

• Please contact the Director to set up a meeting with the parties involved.

Nowhere during this process should anyone NOT RELATED TO THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERN be involved in the process. The desire is for the parent/child/family and/or coordinator to be restored in their relationship with one another.

Our goal is for everyone participating in L.O.V.E to operate in a spirit of unity (parents and children).  We do this by avoiding slander, gossip and whispering about one another.
(Proverbs 6:16-19)

If issues continue to arise, after diligently and earnestly seeking resolution, the leadership may decide that the family or families involved are unable to follow the guidelines and policies herein. If this were to occur, the leadership may have the family or families stop participating in Co-op.

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NEW MEMBER POLICY

Step 1:  Potential new members need to have a sponsor.

Due to the size of our co-op, without a sponsor, it is too easy for members to slip through the cracks and not connect with anyone.  With a sponsor, the potential new member will have an initial point of contact.

• The sponsor has to know the potential new member intimately.
  Can the potential sponsor say yes in response to things like the following?

  • I have been to their home…

  • I know what they got on their tax return…

  • Etc…

• The sponsor has to be willing to vouch for the potential new member and be willing to show them the ropes.

• The sponsor has to know that the potential new member is a Christian and will abide by our “L.O.V.E. QUALIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF FAITH” as previously stated.

• If you anticipate this is your last year in Co-op, please do not sponsor anyone for next year as that is not fair to them.

Step 2:     If a current member has someone that they would like to have join co-op, the sponsor must approach Courtney and let her know that they would like to sponsor a new member.

Step 3:     The potential member will:

• Read our LOVE Guidelines/Policies
• Agree to abide by it
• Be invited to attend one co-op prior to joining (usually in April).

NOTE:    

• New members will not generally be accepted in the middle of the year. 
• Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
• None of these steps apply if Co-op is full.

Q:

A:

We have a team of volunteers that make up the Steering Committee.  Our tasks include making Co-op wide decisions, voting on issues as they arise, picking curriculum, setting the schedule, securing a location, building relationships at the Co-op church site, answering membership questions, planning the teacher schedules and, in general, making sure Co-op runs smoothly.

                    Coordinators

Tina Thomas

CO-Coordinators

        Diane Fleenor

Treasurers  

Kalina Converse

Yearbook Coordinators  

Diane Fleenor

Class Room Leads  

                                 Pre-school-Kayla Sanderson

                                  Primary- Lacey D'ambrosio

                                  Upper Elementtry-  Jaime Ramirez

                                  Young Adults- Kalina Converse