About Our Classes
1. Encouragers Co-op aims to offer a variety of enrichment classes in areas such as art, cooking, science enrichment, history, writing support, study skills, math support, etc. Classes offered will depend on the needs of the students and willing parents.
2. Some classes such as reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science will require work done at home under the guidance and assistance of the parent. Any work assigned by the class facilitator will allow effective and efficient use of the limited class time.
3. Should the parent choose to integrate the co-op class work into their home school needs, the board strongly suggests the parent also be involved in the co-op class keeping up to date on class content and activities. The parent must always oversee all their student’s work. No co-op class in and of itself (and without parental involvement) is designed to fulfill the parent’s home education responsibility. This is an important distinction, as it may be tempting for parents to depend on a 1 day/week co-op class as a fulfillment of a home school requirement. This is not the purpose of our enrichment classes.
4. Additionally, co-op class facilitators do not assign credit for any class they provide as Encouragers is not and never has been a school with the ability to grant credit. The assignment of credit is solely the responsibility of the home education parent.
What are Enrichment Classes?
1. Enrichment classes are supplemental opportunities for families to experience learning with other homeschool students and parents. We have found that many of our enrichment classes tend to incorporate physical and/or hands-on-learning, creative exploration, projects and experiments, group discussions, and supportive interactions.
2. Our classes are offered solely as enrichment and are not meant to supplant the core parental instruction that is required to be provided, especially in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science.
About Class Curriculum and Assignments
1. Class facilitators decide on the class curriculum they would like to provide, topic schedule, class activities, and assignments. Parents are expected to be directly involved in all homework required each week and to oversee weekly completion of assigned work, so that the limited class time can be used effectively.
2. Class facilitators may provide individual assignment grades for projects and homework. However, class facilitators do not assign a grade at the completion of a class. A graded assignment is a way of offering input from the class facilitator on how well the student follows instructions and has integrated the class activities, discussions and learning.
Parent Participation
1. Parents can sign up to be helpers in their own children’s classes. A request can be made to the Encouragers Co-op board for such assignment.
2. Parents are responsible for being involved in and overseeing their child’s progress and learning, especially if they integrate it into their home school needs.
